Muscat For his part, the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs expressed his pride and that of his accompanying delegation for the visit and admiration for the remarkable progress achieved by the Sultanate in all spheres under the leadership of Sultan Qaboos bin Said in terms of supporting the comprehensive internal development and consolidating the friendship and cooperation relations with the international community. The meeting was attended by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud al Busaidi, Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry and by Anil Wadhwa, India's ambassador to the Sultanate. Meanwhile, Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al-Said received in Muscat Richard J. Schmierer, the U.S. Ambassador to the Sultanate. The meeting dealt with bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and ways of enhancing them in a number of fields, in addition to reviewing all issues at the regional and international arenas. The ambassador expressed his government's satisfaction with the existing cooperation between the two countries and the desire to develop it, praising the vital role of the Sultanate and its balanced policy it pursues at the international cooperation level -- thanks to its enlightened leadership. --SPA 13:46 LOCAL TIME 10:46 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/745836