Sudan mulls ways to import US agricultural equipments: minister
July 15, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government has announced that consultations are underway to import farming equipments and remote sensing technologies from the United States.
Al-Dikhairi pointed to the need for cooperation between the two countries in the coming period in the domains of training and development and the assessment of the growing season.
He said that consultations are underway to import farming equipments and technologies from the US in order to help develop the agricultural sector.
Lanier, for his part, underscored that the American people has good relations with Sudan, pointing that the latter enjoys a huge agricultural potential.
He also pointed to the possibility of cooperation between the two countries in the agricultural technical fields.
Washington imposed economic and trade sanctions on Sudan in 1997 in response to its alleged connection to terror networks and human rights abuses. In 2007 it strengthened the embargo, citing abuses in Darfur which it labeled as genocide.
Khartoum has lobbied Washington intensively to lift sanctions citing counterterrorism cooperation and facilitating South Sudan referendum but little progress has been made on this front.
However, the US announced in 2010 it was easing sanctions on agriculture equipment and services which allowed half a dozen companies to obtain export licenses.
The United States Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) announced in August 2014 that it has introduced some changes to a rule issued in 2013 that allowed Sudanese students and professors to participate in exchange programs and receive scholarships.
It said it expanded the definition of US academic institutions to include their third-country branch campuses, adding that authorizations as defined now include their contractors as well.
Also, OFAC last February announced that is amending Sudan’s sanctions regime to allow exports of personal communications hardware and software including smart phones and laptops.
(ST)