Sudanese FM: sudan has very good ties with Iran

Brussels, Dec 10, 2003 (IRNA) — sudan`s foreign minister Mustafa Osman
Ismail Wednesday underlined the important role of the Islamic Republic
of Iran in the Muslim world and said Khartoum and Tehran enjoy very
good ties.

“We believe that Iran is an important country in the region. You
cannot have peace and security in the region if you want to isolate
Iran,” Ismail told IRNA in Brussels Wednesday evening.

“Iran is a very important country in the Muslim world. sudan has a
very good relationship with Iran. We have no problems in our political
relations, economic ties. On political issues usually we have no
differences,” he said.

Commenting on the situation in Iraq, he said the Iraqi people
should get the right” as quickly as possible to build their political
institutions and to elect their representatives so that Iraq would
come back to the international community, not interfering in their
neighbours` affairs and the neighbours should not interfere in their
affairs.”

“We consider Iraq to be a very important country,“ said Ismail
noting that sudan has good relations with the governing council in
Iraq.

The Iraqi foreign minister will be visiting Khartoum in the third
week of this month. “It will be an opportunity to exchange views for
the benefit of both peoples,` Ismail told IRNA.

The sudanese foreign minister Wednesday ended a 3-day official
visit to Brussels during which he held talks with EU and Belgian
officials on relations with sudan and international developments.