Oman signs up to 'safeguard global maritime trade'

Oman yesterday became the second country in the Middle East to sign a declaration under the Container Security Initiative with the United States yesterday.

The initiative is designed to "safeguard global maritime trade" according to Robert C. Bonner, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner.

"We signed a similar agreement with Dubai earlier," Keith Thomson, Assistant Commissioner of the US (CPB), said at a press conference yesterday.

Lieutenant General Malek Bin Sulaiman Al Ma'mari, Oman's Inspector General of Police and Customs, signed the declaration on behalf of Oman. Thomson and Eleanor Melamed, Office Director of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Second Line of Defence Programme, signed on behalf of the US.

The declaration will enable all cargo destined for the US and other destinations through Port Salalah and other Omani ports to be targeted and pre-screened for hazardous material and weapons.

Brigadier Mahmoud Bin Amer Al Kiyomi, Director-General of Customs, Royal Oman Police, said the declaration reinforced the cooperation between the two countries in the field of customs control.

"It is also hoped it will intensify our efforts in the area of container inspection, and in particular the locking of high risk containers by the use of high-tech equipment in conformity with the standards of the World Customs Organisation [WCO]," he added.

"The Container Security Initiative [CSI] is a key initiative designed to prevent global maritime cargo from being exploited by terrorists to inflict harm in the US or other countries. Oman has taken steps to support the CSI to safeguard global maritime trade," the US (CPB) Commissioner added.