NEW YORK, USA: In a brief ceremony at Antigua and Barbuda's UN Mission in New York, the Government of the Sultanate of Oman made a formal financial contribution to strengthen the national health care delivery systems in Antigua and Barbuda.
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| Antigua and Barbuda's UN Ambassador Dr John Ashe accepts a financial contribution from Mohammed Ba-Omar (right), Deputy Permanent Representative of the Sultanate of Oman to the United Nations |
At the hand-over ceremony, Mohammed Ba-Omar, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Sultanate of Oman to the United Nations met with Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador to the United Nations, Dr John Ashe, and gave the latter a cheque from his government. The grant from Oman will be used by the Mission to acquire a number of para-transit vehicles for use by the Ministry of Health to the transport wheelchair bound individuals in Antigua and in Barbuda.
"This grant from my government is intended to assist your government in the critical area of health care," said Ba-Oamr. "And I would like to thank you, Ambassador Ashe, for your patience and persistence in pursuing this matter with our Mission, given its importance to your country."
"Through your efforts, I have had the opportunity to visit your beautiful country and meet with various officials of your government. Please convey my thanks and appreciation to all those who made me feel very welcomed during my visit to Antigua," he said.
Ashe thanked Ba-Omar for the kind contribution and requested that he conveyed the thanks and appreciation of Prime Minister Spencer to the Sultan of Oman for the latter's generosity. The Ambassador also requested Ba-Omar to convey to the relevant officials of his government, the deep appreciation of the Minister of Health the Honourable John Maginley.
"This brings to a successful conclusion the bilateral discussions Prime Minister Spencer had with the Omani delegation in the margins of the September 2006 Summit of Heads of the Non-Aligned Movement in Havana, Cuba," said Ashe.
"And the acquisition of these vehicles will no doubt contribute to the efforts of the Ministry of Health to implement the UN Convention on Disabilities, which Antigua and Barbuda recently signed," he added.
Antigua and Barbuda and Oman established formal diplomatic relations in 2006.
Oman, which lies on the Tropic of Cancer in the extreme southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula, has a bicameral system of government. There is a Council of Oman which consists of the Consultation Council and the State Council. The Consultation members are elected by the Omani citizens, and the State Council members are appointed by the Sultan.
The Sultanate of Oman, whose capital is Muscat, is one of the so-called "Gulf States." It has a population of 2,331,391 (2003 Census). Its head of State is His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.
Oman's major export is oil. Commercial export of oil began in 1967 and since 1970, many more oil fields have been found and developed. In June 1999, a new oil field was discovered in southern Oman after drilling and testing three wells which demonstrated the commercial viability of the reservoir. This was the most significant find in five years. The country currently produces in excess of 774,000 barrels of oil per day, and the oil and gas sector contributes approximately seventy nine percent (79%) of total government revenue. |
