Sudan, Zambia sign framework cooperation agreement
February 11, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan and Zambia on Saturday have signed a framework cooperation agreement besides a number of Memorandum of Understandings (MoU).
On Friday, Zambia’s foreign minister Harry Kalaba arrived in Khartoum in an official two-day visit to hold bilateral talks. His visit is considered the first of its kind by a senior Zambian official to Sudan during the last thirty years.
The visiting Zambian top diplomat and his accompanying delegation on Saturday met with the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir at the guest house in Khartoum.
Following the meeting, Kalaba told reporters that al-Bashir asked him to convey several messages to the Zambian President Edgar Lungu, adding his visit to Khartoum aims to develop bilateral relations in the various fields.
It is noteworthy that the official joint session was held on Saturday at the foreign ministry premises where the two sides discussed ways to enhance economic, trade and cultural cooperation besides political coordination on regional and international issues.
Sudan’s foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour told reporters following the meeting that “the two sides signed a framework agreement that would open the door to sign a number of agreements during the visit of the Zambian President to the country”.
However, he didn’t elaborate on the exact date of the upcoming visit of the Zambian President Edgar Lungu to Khartoum.
He added that Kalaba’s visit was closely coordinated between the two ministries on the sidelines of the Executive Council of the African Union in Addis Ababa.
“The two nations have enjoyed old economic relations and they agreed to proceed on to establish a joint ministerial committee,” he said.
Ghandour pointed that the two countries seek to strengthen African relations, saying the meeting “discussed all peace issues in the region”.
He stressed that the two sides share identical views on the various issues, pointing they work together to achieve peace and security in Africa.
The Sudanese foreign minister further said the meeting underscored the need to strengthen political, security, social and economic relations between the two countries.
(ST)