Gulf countries, Sudan to sign partnership agreement: Bashir
April 12, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will sign a strategic partnership agreement with the Sudan announced the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir from Bahrain on Wednesday.
Al-Bashir arrived in the Bahrain’s capital Manana where he was welcomed by Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa. He arrived from Kuwait where he held talks with the Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Following a meeting with Al-Khalifa, al-Bashir confirmed to the official SUNA that the GCC countries would sign a strategic partnership agreement with Sudan. So, the Red Sea country will strengthen economic and trade ties with the Gulf countries.
In a meeting with the Sudanese community in Kuwait on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour disclosed the partnership deal and said an agreement will be signed during a meeting of GCC foreign ministers to be held soon.
The GCC countries have signed two similar agreements with the other monarchy regimes in Jordan and Morocco. The partnership includes financial aid, investments security and military cooperation.
Sudan’s active participation in the Saudi-led partnership military alliance waging war against the Iran-supported Shiite Houthis in Yemen and the massive agricultural investments in the Red Sea country prompted the partnership agreement.
In an interview with the Kuwait News Agency on Wednesday Ghandour said: “Sudan has prepared a list of 220 development projects of which 79 ones were good to go”. He further expressed hope that Kuwait would participate in providing support to these ventures.
Bashir discussed the Arab food security initiative which calls to invest in Sudan agricultural projects with Al-Sabah and Al-Khalifa. The other GCC countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Arab United Emirates have already invested in these projects.
(ST)