Muscat-Sana
Dr. Buthaina Shaaban, Special Adviser to the Presidency of the Republic and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the “Watan Document” Foundation and the accompanying delegation in Muscat today discussed with the Chairman of the Omani National Records and Archives Authority Dr. Hamad bin Muhammad Al-Dhawani aspects of cooperation between Syria and the Sultanate of Oman in the fields of documents, archives and historical studies and ways to enhance them to serve Common interests.
The two sides’ discussions dealt with strengthening bilateral coordination in the field of conferences, historical, civilizational, intellectual and scientific conferences and documentary exhibitions. They stressed the importance of pushing cooperation towards enabling access to documents related to the two countries, within an executive program that is being prepared within the framework of the adoption of a memorandum of understanding between the Commission and the concerned authorities in Syria.
The two sides stressed the importance of exchanging experiences, training workers, and building their own capabilities through technical and technical training, exchanging invitations for activities and events that are held in both countries, in addition to cooperating in the field of exchanging publications, publishing documentary, cultural, literary and historical publications, and setting up joint programs between the two countries in the field of documents and archives.
In addition, Dr. Al-Dhawani presented, during the talks, an overview of the role of the Omani National Documentation and Archives Authority in preserving the memory of the nation and building modern systems for managing documents and archives in accordance with the latest international standards, in addition to the tasks of the authority in defining the local and international community and its contributions to the historical and civilizational aspects of the Sultanate through holding conferences, seminars and exhibitions Local and international documentaries, pointing out that the Sultanate has paid great attention to the documentation sector due to its importance in preserving the history and heritage of the Sultanate over time.
For her part, Dr. Shaaban praised the great level provided by the Omani Documentation and Archives Authority in preserving the national memory. She also praised the integrated work system that the authority abounds in. She said that the Watan Document Foundation will unite its efforts and will work with the National Records and Archives Authority in the field of documents, conferences and exhibitions.. It will also work with the authority. To form an entity for oral history to be the basis in the Arab world.
Shaaban indicated in her statement that the talks session discussed many commonalities between Syria and the Sultanate of Oman, including enabling access to documents belonging to the two countries, how to view and document them, and the exchange of expertise and experiences in the field of documents, in addition to the joint programs that will emerge with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries.
For his part, Ambassador Dr. Bassam Al-Khatib, Syria's ambassador to the Sultanate, who attended the talks, stressed that the visit of the Syrian delegation is a new page of cooperation between the two brotherly countries and establishes an organized scientific effort for cooperation in the field of documents and archives, where the two countries will work to sign a memorandum of understanding to develop the foundations of cooperation.
To that, the Syrian delegation toured some of the divisions of the specialized and technical body, during which a visual presentation was highlighted that tells the areas of work of the National Documents and Archives Authority “Memory of a Nation” and its most important objectives, terms of reference and work it undertakes. And the National Archives, which expresses the historical and cultural heritage that the Sultanate of Oman abounds in.
She also met with Dr. Shaaban, Omani Minister of Heritage and Tourism, Salem Al Mahrouqi, who stressed the depth of the historical relations that unite the two brotherly countries and peoples, and the necessity of restoring Arab relations with Syria due to its historical depth and strategic importance in the region.
