Sudan’s foreign minister meets Modi, seeks strategic partnership for reconstruction
January 31, 2026 (NEW DELHI) – Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem held talks on Saturday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing Sudan’s desire to build a strategic partnership with New Delhi for the country’s reconstruction by activating bilateral cooperation mechanisms.
Salem arrived in New Delhi on Thursday to participate in the Arab-Indian Ministerial Meeting, organized by the General Secretariat of the Arab League in cooperation with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
In a press statement, the foreign minister said Sudan looks forward to building a strategic partnership with India during the reconstruction phase by activating bilateral cooperation mechanisms between the two countries’ foreign ministries. He said he hoped bilateral efforts would lead to an exchange of visits by senior officials in various fields.
On Friday, Salem and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar discussed activating bilateral cooperation, including the consultation and coordination committee and the establishment of a comprehensive economic partnership.
Salem said he briefed the Indian prime minister on developments in Sudan, including the army’s operations against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the government’s peace initiative, and the return of stability to the capital, Khartoum.
For his part, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is ready to cooperate with Sudan in all fields, according to the state-run Sudan News Agency (SUNA). Modi said diplomatic channels remain open to activate cooperation across various sectors and noted that India is interested in cooperating with partners and friends on the African continent.
Salem also met with the Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, to discuss cooperation in the coming phase. The minister stated that Sudan seeks an effective partnership with India in health, pharmaceutical manufacturing, agriculture, small and medium industries, and mining, in addition to technology transfer and localizing industries.
The two officials agreed to immediately form a joint technical committee to discuss the requirements for developing an industrial and economic partnership in the identified fields.
During a roundtable with Indian business leaders and private sector institutions, Salem discussed Sudan’s openness to foreign investment to localize basic industries. He said Sudan encourages investment in mining, agriculture, medical treatment, pharmaceutical industries, solar energy, and digital infrastructure.
The Sudanese embassy in India will work with the Arab-Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to organize an economic forum and establish a joint Sudanese-Indian business council, the minister added.