India, Oman set to sign trade pact: Commerce Secretary

New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) India and Oman are poised to sign the free trade agreement, which aims to boost economic ties between the two countries, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Oman on December 17-18.

The pact was approved by the Union Cabinet last week.

"India and Oman are poised to sign the agreement soon," he told reporters here.

The talks for the agreement, officially termed as CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement), formally began in November 2023. The negotiations concluded this year.

Oman is the third-largest export destination for India among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. India already has a similar agreement with another GCC member, the UAE, which came into effect in May 2022. PTI RR RR BAL BAL