Sudan calls to delay discussions on lifting ban on Egyptian farming products: minister
August 29, 2018 (KHARTOUM) The Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Amr Nassar Wednesday said Sudan has demanded to delay discussions on Khartoum’s decision to ban Egyptian farming products.
In September 2016, the Sudanese government temporarily suspended all imports of vegetables, fruit and fish from Egypt following U.S. reports about cases of strawberries from Egypt causing chronic hepatitis and other diseases.
A meeting between Sudan and Egypt ministers of Commerce and Industry was held in Cairo on Wednesday on the sidelines of the joint ministerial committee meeting.
Nassar said the Sudanese side represented by Minister of Commerce Hatim al-Sir and Minister of Industry Musa Karama has demanded to delay discussions on the banned farming products file until the next meeting of the joint committee in Khartoum next month.
He added the meeting discussed future economic cooperation between Cairo and Khartoum, saying the two sides underlined keenness to remove all obstacles hindering the flow of trade and investment between the two countries.
During a visit of Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to Khartoum last month, the two countries agreed to coordinate efforts to enhance the security of the Red Sea and promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
The tumultuous relations between Sudan and Egypt experienced last December a new crisis over media attacks against al-Bashir after a visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Sudan. Also, Sudan accused Egypt and Eritrea of supporting rebel groups to attack Kassala State on the eastern border.
However, the two countries recently developed a joint security cooperation against the opposition groups from both sides.
The main differences between the two neighbours remain the dispute over the border triangle area of Halayeb and the construction of Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam that Sudan backs.
(ST)