Sudan, South Sudan FMs meet in Moscow next wednesday

September 3, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese and South Sudanese foreign ministers will visit Moscow next week for talks on bilateral relation with Russia and ways to finalise the implementation of cooperation agreements.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Thursday told reporters that Sudan’s foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour and his South Sudanese counterpart Barnaba Marial Benjamin will be in Moscow in a two day visit from 9 to 11 September at the invitation of Russia’s top diplomat Sergey Lavrov.

“A meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, Sudan and South Sudan and talks between Sudan and South Sudan are among the highlights,” Zakharova further said.

Moscow is seeking to improve bilateral relations with the two east African nations and to promote trade and investments in the two Sudans.

Zakharova said the meeting shows the seriousness of the two countries to develop partnership and close relations with Russia in matters related to the normalization between Khartoum and Juba.

The two sides previously confirmed to Sudan Tribune their participation in the meeting with the Russian foreign minister.

The African Union Peace and Security Council, in a communiqué issued on 25 August called on the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to continue the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement in order to establish peaceful and cooperative relations between them.

The Sudanese government unit of the cooperation agreement implementation, headed by chief negotiator al-Rasheed Haroun held a meeting on Wednesday in Khartoum to review the different dossiers ahead of Moscow talks.

(ST)