Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said Al Said is the chief guest of 2013 Republic Day celebrations.

A political decision has been taken to this effect by the cabinet committee - after informal discussions through diplomatic channels with sultan of Oman.

With the acceptance of the invitation by sultan of Oman, now president Pranab Mukherjee will write an official invite to be followed up by telephone calls from prime minister Manmohan Singh and foreign minister SM Krishna.

Indian envoy in Oman will coordinate with the Oman foreign office and Sultanate of Oman.

This invitation to Oman Sultan is viewed politically as UPA II is now keen on energy security ans is also focusing on fertilisers. Oman’s presence in these two areas are crucial for India in 2025, say political sources.