Oman and Iran held the first meeting of their Joint Committee on the Strait of Hormuz in Muscat on Monday to exchange views on the future management of the strategic waterway and related maritime issues, Oman's Foreign Ministry said.
In a statement, the ministry said the Omani delegation was led by Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Zaher Al-Hinai, ambassador-at-large at the foreign ministry, while the Iranian side was led by Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs.
The two sides discussed ways to strengthen coordination on matters concerning the Strait of Hormuz in line with the mutual interests and sovereignty of both countries, while reaffirming their commitment to international law, the statement said.
They also explored frameworks for cooperating on navigation and maritime services, building on their status as the two littoral states bordering the strait and on existing bilateral and international understandings, it added.
On the same day, Oman again voiced its opposition to charging transit fees on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
In an interview, Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi said that Oman does not support imposing fees on ships passing through the strait, while leaving the door open to discussions on maritime service mechanisms.
Oman is willing to discuss cooperative arrangements around navigational safety, maritime accident response, and marine pollution prevention where lessons could be drawn from other major shipping corridors, Albusaidi said.
Any such arrangements, he stressed, would be worked out in consultation with the nations and shipping companies that rely on the waterway, with the goal of upgrading maritime services and safeguarding safe passage, not layering new costs onto global trade.
On June 24, Oman and Iran issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with applicable international law.
The two countries also agreed to continue discussions through a joint working group between their foreign ministries to reach an understanding on the future management of navigation and related maritime services in the strait.
Oman, Iran hold joint meeting on future management of Hormuz Strait
China stands ready to work with Uzbekistan to usher in a new "golden decade" for bilateral relations, as the two sides celebrate the 10th anniversary of the China-Uzbekistan comprehensive strategic partnership, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday during a meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2026 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Xi said that under the guidance of the two heads of state, China and Uzbekistan have elevated and upgraded their bilateral relations, reaped fruitful results in cooperation across various fields, and achieved remarkable success in building a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future.
China is willing to work with Uzbekistan to consolidate strategic mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and jointly usher in a new "golden decade" for bilateral relations, he said.
No matter how the international landscape may evolve, China's commitment to deepening China-Uzbekistan friendship remains unwavering, Xi said, adding that China will, as always, support Uzbekistan in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions.
He called on the two countries to work together to advance bilateral cooperation.
Both sides should promote the high-quality construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, expand cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence and desertification control, and uphold mutual benefit, Xi said.
He stressed the need to speed up the establishment of cultural centers in each other's country, expand cooperation in education and poverty alleviation, and foster people-to-people bonds.
It's important to make full use of the law enforcement and security cooperation mechanism between the two countries, and join hands to fight the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, Xi said.
As the SCO's founding members, China and Uzbekistan should work together to implement the outcomes of the Tianjin Summit, and advance regional development and prosperity, he said.
Mirziyoyev said that Uzbekistan remains firmly committed to developing relations with China and will not change this course amid shifts in the international landscape.
Uzbekistan is willing to work with China to deepen political mutual trust, expand trade and investment, strengthen cooperation in agriculture, transportation, energy, minerals, and science and technology, promote people-to-people exchanges, and fight the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, advancing the further development of bilateral relations, he said.
The Uzbek side firmly upholds the one-China principle, highly values the four global initiatives proposed by President Xi, and stands ready to work with China to advance the SCO development and uphold international fairness and justice, Mirziyoyev said.
Xi arrived in the Kyrgyz capital on Sunday for the SCO Summit 2026 and a state visit to Kyrgyzstan.
China ready to work with Uzbekistan to usher in new "golden decade" for bilateral relations
