PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with the Sultan of Oman [February 2024]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 February 2024.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to the Sultan of Oman, His Majesty Haitham bin Tarik al Said, this morning.
He welcomed the long friendship between the UK and Oman, stretching back centuries, and committed to continue deepening that partnership in areas including trade, defence and security.
The leaders discussed the ongoing Houthi attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea, agreeing that it was vital for international security and stability to deescalate tensions in the region.
The Prime Minister stressed that military action was a last resort in the face of intolerable threats to global shipping, and followed consistent international warnings. The UK continued to urge the Houthis to end their reckless attacks.
The Prime Minister also raised the UK’s position on the devastating conflict in Gaza. He said the immediate priority was agreeing a humanitarian pause to allow more aid to be delivered across Gaza and to secure the release of all hostages.
The UK was pushing for more routes to be opened to bring far greater quantities of aid into the suffering civilian population, including maritime routes.
He reiterated the UK’s support for progress towards a viable two state solution, where Palestinians and Israelis can live in dignity and security. That would require Israel’s security to be guaranteed, Hamas no longer in charge in Gaza, and a bolstered Palestinian Authority. The leaders agreed on the importance of international cooperation to reach a sustainable long-term settlement to the crisis.
The Prime Minister closed the call by reaffirming his personal commitment to building on the long UK-Oman relationship, and the leaders looked forward to working closely together in the future.
