Page 117 - The Arabian Gulf States_Neat

TREATY RELATIONS OF MUSCAT 55
The Treaty of Commerce between the King of the French and His
Highness Syud Sneed bin Sultan, the Sultan of Mask at, dated 17
November 18441
The treaty which was ratified by both parties on 4 February 1846
provides for (a) reciprocal and most-favoured nation treatment, (b)
reciprocal rights of appointing consuls in the respective territories of
both parties, and (c) extra-territorial jurisdiction over French nationals
in Muscat. In accordance with the provisions of the treaty, a French
consulate was once opened in Zanzibar, formerly a dependency of the
Sultan, but the consulate was later closed and the French consul
withdrawn. It appears that the Sultan had never used his right to
appoint a Muscati consul in France.
The Declaration of 1877 for the development of commercial relations
between the Netherlands and Muscat2
This treaty, described as ‘Declaration', was signed on 7 April and 27
August 1877 at The Hague and Muscat, respectively. It provides,
inter alia, for most-favoured nation treatment in commercial matters
between Muscat and the Netherlands.
The Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation between India and
Muscat, dated 15 March 19533
This treaty entered into force on 2 March 1954, fifteen days after the
exchange of the instruments of ratification which took place at Muscat
on 14 February 1954. Article 4 of the treaty provides for the recogni­
tion and respect of ‘the independence and rights of each other’.
Article 2 provides that each of the two parties ‘may appoint consuls
to reside in the territories of the other, subject to the consent and
approval of the other as regards the persons so appointed*. The other
provisions of the treaty provide for reciprocal and most-favoured
nation treatment in trade between the two countries. The treaty shall
remain valid for a period of fifteen years, and thereafter until ter­
minated by one year’s notice by either party. It was registered with the
United Nations under Article 102 of the Charter.
It may be interesting to point out, in connection with this treaty,
that in a letter dated 30 September 1964 the Permanent Representative
of India to the United Nations explained the circumstances which led
to the conclusion of the treaty as follows:
India, as one of the territories of His Majesty was a signatory to the Treaty
of Commerce and Navigation signed between His Britannic Majesty and the
Sultan of Muscat and Oman in 1939. In March 1950, the Government of

1 Aitchison, Appendix No. II, p. xxix.
a Ibid., Appendix No. IV, p. xxxix. 3 U.N.T.S., vol. 190, p. 76.