Sudan sticking to its principles in dialogue with US: official

February 21, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government affirmed its willingness to continue dialogue with the US but warned that it will do so without abandoning its principles or interests.

“We have affirmed more than once that we are keen on [our] principles and on Sudan’s common interests in any dialogue with the U.S.,” Ghazi Salah Al-Deen, Sudanese presidential adviser, told reporters following a meeting with visiting US special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration in Khartoum.

“At the same time we welcome any sincere effort that would help in resolving the Sudanese issues. We are looking forward to an American stance that will help find solutions to all Sudan’s issues,” he added.

Gration is on a one week visit to the region where he visited Chad and Sudan for talks on the Darfur crisis, census, elections, referendum, Abyei border demarcation and post-referenda issues.

The Sudanese official said his he discussed the normalization of in his talks with Gration and obstacles preventing it.

“I have briefed the U.S. envoy on the current developments in Sudan, in particular the agreement we signed yesterday with Justice and Equality Movement (JEM),” Al-Deen said.

“The U.S. envoy welcomed the developments in the Darfur issue, represented in the framework agreement together with the ongoing arrangements to organize the elections as scheduled,” he added.

The US official has said that his government “will exert utmost efforts to push the agreement forward for realizing a lasting peace for all the Sudanese people”.

(ST)