Hamdok wants Kuwait to participate in Paris economic conference on Sudan
May 6, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – Abdallah Hamdok, Sudan Prime Minister renewed invited his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, to participate in an international economic conference for Sudan’s debt relief and investment in Paris on 17 May.
Kuwait is Sudan’s first biggest bilateral creditor. Sudan owes Kuwait over US$ 11 billion.
The transitional government, which seeks relief on $50 billion in external debt, hopes for the participation of major creditors in the Paris economic conference on Sudan.
The east African country wants to be qualified for the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief initiative next June.
The Sudanese cabinet on Thursday that Hamdok called Al-Sabah requesting his country’s participation in the Paris meeting which coincides with the holidays of the end of Ramadan.
During the call, he briefed him about the issues that be discussed in the Paris conference such as debt relief, investment opportunities, and Sudan’s readiness to address challenges facing investors.
“Hamdok renewed the invitation to the Kuwaiti Prime Minister to participate in the Conference and expressed his expectation of effective participation and a pioneering role for Kuwait in the discussions about the issues debated (in the meeting),” further said the statement.
Several countries have already confirmed their participation in the conference but it is not clear if Kuwait did.
Besides the debt relief, the economic conference will also gather international investors who would discuss economic projects prepared by the government and the private sector.
Last April, the French Special Envoy for Sudan Jean Michel Dumond told a meeting at the Chatham House that France would grant a bridge loan of up to $1.5 billion to clear Sudan’s arrears to the International Monetary Fund.
“We are quite optimistic, France is ready to grant a bridge loan of $1.3, $1.4, $1.5 billion – whatever will be needed for the reimbursement of the IMF,” said Dumond.
(ST)