Sudan and Turkey sign deals on agriculture, energy and mining in Ankara
May 22, Ankara— Sudan and Turkey concluded the 16th session of their Joint Ministerial Economic Committee in Ankara on Thursday, agreeing to implement a package of projects in agriculture, energy, and mining and committing to deepen bilateral trade and investment ties.
The Sudanese delegation was led by Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Ismat Qurashi, while Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli chaired the Turkish side. The two delegations signed a joint meeting minutes after intensive deliberations that brought together representatives from a range of Sudanese government institutions, including the ministries of foreign affairs, finance, agriculture, energy, mining, animal resources, higher education, culture and media and tourism, and the Bank of Sudan.
According to a press circular from Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the talks produced a range of outcomes supporting cooperation in economic, trade, and development matters. The two sides agreed to implement projects across the agriculture, energy, and mining sectors, and to exchange technical cooperation and capacity-building in line with memoranda of understanding previously signed between the two countries.
The discussions also covered a commitment to strengthen Turkey’s contribution to Sudan’s health and humanitarian sectors, and to support the reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed by the war. Both sides affirmed the importance of private sector participation in driving trade relations, to be facilitated through business and investment forums under the supervision of the Joint Business Council.
Qurashi said the Sudanese government values Turkey’s support for Sudan throughout the war period, and expressed his government’s commitment to implementing the projects agreed upon during the committee sessions in a manner that serves the shared interests of both countries.
His Turkish counterpart called for the immediate start of project implementation and an increase in the bilateral trade balance, describing economic and commercial relations as a cornerstone of the strong ties between the two nations.