Chad’s president holds talks with Bashir in Khartoum

March 8, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Chadian President Idris Deby has arrived in Khartoum on Tuesday to hold talks with his Sudanese counterpart Omer al-Bashir on bilateral cooperation as well as the situation in Libya and South Sudan.

Deby was received at Khartoum airport by Bashir and a number of ministers and ambassadors accredited to Khartoum besides representatives from the Chadian community in Sudan.

Sudan’s state minister for foreign affairs Kamal al-Din Ismail told reporters that the visit comes within the framework of the evolving relations between Khartoum and N’djamena.

He added the two presidents will hold talks on economic and trade cooperation between the two nations as well as the trade exchange and how could Chad benefit from the sea port of Port Sudan.

Ismail pointed the talks would also tackle the issue of the joint border control force between the two countries besides the situation in Libya and South Sudan, praising Chad’s support for Sudan on the regional and international forums.

He added that Bashir congratulated Deby on his election as the African Union chairman.

The two presidents are expected to leave separately for Riyadh on Wednesday to watch the end of the joint military drills “North’s Thunder” Thursday in the presence of the Saudi King Salman bin Abdel-Aziz.

In January 2010, Sudan and Chad signed a normalization agreement ending a long history of mutual hostility in which both sides provided support to each other’s insurgents.

(ST)