Diplomatic ties with Eritrea improving – Sudan’s FM

April 14, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The minister of foreign affairs, Lam Akol, has affirmed that Sudanese-Eritrean ties were improving.

During a press conference at Khartoum Airport, yesterday, he said: “The issue of raising diplomatic representation to Eritrea to ambassadorial level has been approved.

The Eritrean ambassador is expected to be accredited in Khartoum sonn and in return we shall send an ambassador to Asmara. At the moment there are ongoing talks to set up a joint ministerial committee.”

Regarding the allegations about the attacks launched by the eastern front rebels on Wednesday 12 April against two areas in Kasala State, the minister of foreign affairs said “The issue of eastern Sudan is listed on the governments agenda and has no connection with it or with the nature of Sudan’s ties with any country.”

He affirmed that the government was working on solving the eastern crisis because it was convinced that it is an internal issue that needed to be solved. He said “There are pure Sudanese efforts to put the Sudanese internal affairs in order without responding to foreign dictation”.

(ST)