Sudanese-Saudi joint committee starts meetings in Khartoum
May 19, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The joint Sudanese-Saudi agricultural ministerial committee has commenced meetings in Khartoum Tuesday to discuss bilateral economic cooperation in various fields.
Hamid, who addressed the opening of the fifth session of the joint ministerial committee meetings, said ties between the two countries have been characterized by credibility and full commitment by the leadership of both nations to create environment conducive for trade and economic cooperation.
He renewed Sudan’s firm and sincere desire to promote relations with Saudi Arabia, expressing hope to upgrade those relations to wider horizons for the good of the two nations.
Saudi Arabia is Sudan’s second largest trade partner following China. Its investments in Sudan exceed $4 billion.
The Sudanese minister invited Saudi public and private sectors to invest in several fields including agriculture, mining, industry, health and education, underscoring his government’s commitment to provide the necessary requirements for the success of all Saudi investments in Sudan.
The Saudi minister of agriculture, Abdel-Rahman Ibn Abdel-Muhissn al-Fadli, for his part, thanked the Sudanese people and government for hosting the fifth session of the joint Saudi-Sudanese ministerial committee.
He said they look forward to discussing the promising opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in the service, trade and economic domains besides reviewing cooperation projects being discussed in the previous sessions.
Al-Fadli also said the meeting would discuss ways for overcoming obstacles which hinders sustainable development in both countries, expressing hope that the joint committee arrives at recommendations that could push forward cooperation between the two nations in all fields.
The joint ministerial committee would discuss ways for overcoming obstacles facing the Sudanese workers in Saudi Arabia besides plans for increasing trade and economic exchange and banking transfers between the two countries.
Last April, a high-level technical delegation from Saudi Arabia discussed in Khartoum ways for implementing the Arab food security initiative in Sudan.
Sudan’s National Investment Authority (NIA) said it offered to the Saudi delegation six agricultural projects in various states in north and east Sudan to carry out the food security plan.
Sudanese-Saudi relations have witnessed a thaw in recent months after years of tensions over Khartoum’s close ties with Tehran that saw Iranian warships dock several times in Port Sudan.
Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir paid a one-day state visit to Saudi Arabia last month in which he met with King Salman Bin Abdel Aziz and his son Mohamed who is the kingdom’s defence minister.
It was announced afterwards that Sudan will join the Saudi-led military campaign against Yemeni Houthi rebels allied with Iran who have taken control of Yemeni capital since September 2014.
EXPULSION OF SUDANESE WORKERS
Meanwhile, Sudan’s foreign ministry said the decision of the Saudi authorities to expel 120 Sudanese nationals would not adversely impact on eternal ties between the two countries.
Ali al-Sadig, spokesperson for Sudan’s foreign ministry said in press statements on Monday that violation of residency requirements by Sudanese nationals in Saudi Arabia would not affect relations between the two nations.
He said the Sudanese workers were expelled because they violated residency conditions, adding that anyone who breaks the law in a host country would be expelled.
The spokesperson said the joint ministerial committee would discuss bilateral cooperation particularly on agriculture and animal and fish wealth and related industries, noting that several agreements and memorandums of understandings would be signed between the two countries.
(ST)