On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Oman on your 40^th National Day this November 18. The historic friendship between Oman and the United States continues to flourish through our partnership to promote free trade, conserve the environment, expand educational opportunities to more people, and to cooperate on many other issues. Under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Oman has made remarkable gains.

In the last 40 years, the Omani people have known greater economic opportunity, improved education and healthcare facilities, and a brighter future. We are proud to work closely with Oman to help build a more secure, more peaceful, and more prosperous future for our world.

On this special day, I wish the people of Oman a joyful celebration and look forward to further strengthening the relationship between our nations.