Oman, US Look to FTA Before Year-End

MUSCAT, 13 March 2005 — Oman and the United States said yesterday they hoped to conclude a free trade agreement before year’s end as Muscat sought to ease concerns about bilateral deals between Gulf partners and Washington. “We are looking for a quick deal, most certainly much earlier than the year-end,” Assistant US Trade Representative Catherine Novelli told a press conference after the first of three-day negotiations on the pact.

Novelli, who said the second round of talks would take place in Washington by mid-April, said negotiations were going “extremely, extremely well.” “We both have already done homework. We did not see any stumbling blocks,” said Novelli, who chairs the US side in the talks.

Trade and Industry Minister Maqbool ibn Ali ibn Sultan, who is leading the Omani side, said just before the talks began that he thought negotiations “will be relatively smooth. It should be signed before the end of the year.”