Oman’s foreign ministry has reportedly hit back at “street talk” rumours the country wants to leave the GCC, after it posted tweets in support of the UK vote to quit the European Union (EU).
An unnamed ministry official was quoted as saying: “I assure the people of the GCC that any ideas concerning the disintegration of the GCC have not been discussed, and Gulf states are moving in the direction of unified processes and the strengthening of ties for the longer term.”
On Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on its Twitter account that the British people “took a courageous decision to leave the EU, which some would explain as a decisive reaction to some of the policies imposed by European Commission”.
The ministry’s tweet went viral, with commentators widely interpreting it as a sideways attack on the GCC – of which Oman is a part but often disagrees with other members on policy issues.
One member of the public tweeted: “Yesterday’s most awkward tweet. Quite unusual for Oman’s foreign policy makers to express such an ‘opinion’.”
Another tweeted: “Yes surprising if sanctioned from above. Oman would normally be more reserved about alienating leaders of 27 countries.”
And another responded: “Not necessarily, Oman has been rather isolationist. Can’t blame it given its geographical context.
Another commentator said: “Could be a harbinger. Oman was against GCC union and unified GCC currency.”
Meanwhile Ishaq Al Siyabi, former vice-chairman of Oman’s Shura Council, reportedly fuelled speculation by tweeting his hopes for Oman to hold a similar referendum determining its fate in the GCC, according to Gulf News.
“The GCC hasn’t achieved all the goals in the past years and the GCC people do not feel the direct results of that amid the security and political differences between the Gulf states,” he tweeted.
However, the newspaper reported on Tuesday that an unnamed ministry official had ruled out an Oman exit from the GCC in an interview with Kuwait’s Al Rai daily.
“This is street talk and not that of officials and politicians,” the official was quoted as saying. He added the spread of rumours on social media was “intolerable”.
“I assure the people of the GCC that any ideas concerning the disintegration of the GCC have not been discussed, and Gulf states are moving in the direction of unified processes and the strengthening of ties for the longer term,” the official said.
Follow us on
