Sudan’s foreign minister in Cairo to prepare for Bashir’s visit

October 7, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese foreign minister, Ali Karti, will arrive in Cairo on Wednesday evening to meet with his Egyptian counterpart, Samih Shoukri, to discuss ways for promoting bilateral ties and prepare for the upcoming visit of president Omer Hassan al-Bashir.

The visit comes amid emerging tensions over the disputed border region of Halayeb which Sudan said it is included in the 2015 elections geographical constituencies.

Egypt dismissed Sudan’s announcement stressing its sovereignty over Halayeb with officials in Cairo saying they will pay visits there.

The area has been under Cairo’s full military control since the mid-1990’s following a Sudanese backed attempt on former Egyptian president Mohamed Hosni Mubarak’s life. Egypt brushed aside Sudan’s repeated calls for referring the dispute to international arbitration.

Press reports in Cairo said that Karti’s visit would pave the way for the upcoming visit of president Omer Hassan al-Bashir to Cairo.

The Egyptian president, Abdul Fatah al-Sisi, invited Bashir to visit Cairo during his brief stop in Khartoum last June.

Karti had earlier met with Shoukri in New York on the sidelines of the meetings of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The two ministers agreed on the need to develop trade relations between the two countries in order to achieve the common interest of the two brotherly peoples.

(ST)