Turkey’s Erdogan visits Sudan on Sunday

December 14, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will start a two-day visit to Sudan on Sunday at the invitation of his Sudanese counterpart, the foreign ministry announced on Thursday.

“The visit comes within the framework of deepening the relations between the two countries, which are based on deep-rooted historical, cultural and social ties. Also, it aims to strengthen the existing economic and trade partnerships between the two countries,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Garib Allah Khidir.

Khidir said the two countries will sign a number of agreements to strengthen the existing economic partnerships in the field of investment, agricultural production, higher education, environment, military, mining, energy, health and tourism.

The visit will witness the convening of the Sudanese Turkish economic forum, which will be attended by more than one hundred and fifty Turkish companies and businessmen. President al-Bashir and Erdogan will address the meeting.

The Turkish president who chairs the Islamic Cooperation Conference will address the Sudanese parliament on Sunday evening after his arrival to Khartoum.

He is expected to speak about the outcome of the recent extraordinary Islamic on Jerusalem.

Erdogan will visit several Ottoman historical sites in eastern Sudan town of Suakin which was an important port for trade for centuries. Also, he will visit Port Sudan town, the country main port on the Red Sea to attend the signing of a free trade area agreement.

In 2014 Sudan and Turkey signed an agricultural partnership which includes the allocation of a plot of 12500 hectares in Abu Gutah area.

According to a report issued by the Sudanese Ministry of Investment, the volume of Turkish investments in Sudan amounted to 2 billion dollars from 2000 to 2017. It further indicates that there are 288 Turkish investment projects in the east African country.

(ST)