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Akbar Novruz

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Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s November 28 trip to Oman has triggered a wave of speculation after the visit abruptly disappeared from both Belarusian and Omani official reporting, Azernews reports.

Belarus state media initially described the trip as a working visit, stating that Lukashenko was scheduled to meet with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said. The announcement highlighted strengthened bilateral contacts in recent years, increased high-level visits, and the development of promising cooperation areas identified during Lukashenko’s 2024 trip to Oman. It also referenced the Roadmap signed during Sultan Haitham’s October 2025 visit to Minsk.

According to the official report, the Muscat meetings were intended to “thoroughly discuss the implementation of existing agreements and advance joint projects to the practical phase across various fields.”

Lukashenko’s aircraft landed in Muscat on the evening of November 28, where he was welcomed by Abdul Salam Al-Murshidi, the head of the Oman Investment Authority. Yet after this brief announcement, no further updates followed. Neither Oman’s nor Belarus’s official institutions, state media, or unofficial outlets released additional information about the visit, its agenda, or its outcomes.

The sudden silence immediately fueled rumours across social networks and opposition-linked Belarusian media, generating headlines such as “Lukashenko disappeared,” “Lukashenko vanished in Oman,” and similar claims pointing to an information blackout.

Adding to the uncertainty, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Pavel Latushka, argued on "X" that based on Muscat’s protocol, Lukashenko’s trip “is neither a state nor an official visit.” He noted the absence of hallmark elements usually associated with such visits, no honor guard, no high-level welcoming delegation, and none of the formal attributes typically observed in Oman’s official receptions.

For now, the lack of updates from both sides continues to raise questions, leaving Lukashenko’s Oman visit shrouded in ambiguity.