Sudanese president to visit Iran Monday

April 22, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese president Omer al-Bashir is to leave on Monday to the Islamic Republic of Iran on a two-day official visit, the state-run SUUNA reported.

Al-Bashir will hold talks with Iranian President Ahmedi Nejad on bilateral relations and means of boosting them further and issues of mutual concern.

He will be accompanied during the visit by Presidency Minister Gen. Bakri Hassan Salih, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lam Akol, Minister of Energy and Mining Awad Ahmed Al-Jaz, Minister of Science and Technology Gen. Abdel-Rahman Saeed and other officials of the state.

The Iranian chargé d’affairs in Khartoum, Massoud Ghadmi, said Darfur crisis s an internal Sudanese affair and that no other party has the right to interfere in the internal affairs of Sudan, pointing that the government’s keenness on reaching a speedy solution for Darfur issue through the ongoing negotiations in Abuja would allow no pretexts for western intervention attempts.

Ghadmi affirmed Iran’s keenness on boosting the economic development process in Sudan, indicating that there are more than 30 agreements and memos of understanding signed between the two countries in the economic and commercial fields.

The Iranian charge d’affairs affirmed his country’s keenness on expanding its relations with the African countries.

(ST)