17 December 2012 – Philippine Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman Joselito A. Jimeno, hosted the Asian Ambassadors’ Group (AAG) Meeting held yesterday, 16 December 2012, at the Hotel Intercontinental Muscat.

The Asian Ambassador’s Group (AAG) Meeting is a regular monthly gathering of the fourteen Asian Heads of Mission in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. It is composed of the five resident ASEAN Embassies (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand), three East Asian countries (China, Japan and Korea), five South Asian nations (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and Kazakhstan in Central Asia.

The Guest of Honor of the meeting was H.E. Darwish Ismail Ali Al-Balushi, Minister Responsible for Financial Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, who was personally invited by Ambassador Jimeno. He discussed the economic prospects of Oman and related topics. Minister Darwish stated that Oman will continue to look to Asian countries as partners in the Sultanate’s development. The Minister said that the Omani economy, which is heavily dependent on oil and natural gas production, will continue to grow at an average rate of 7-8% if the price of oil remains at $80-$100 per barrel. The Minister also discussed the diversification being implemented in the Sultanate’s economy, particularly in agriculture and tourism.

Dinner followed the meeting