Sudan keen to promote ties with Swaziland, Foreign minister

MBABANE, Swaziland, Aug 16, 2003 (SUNA) — Foreign Minister Dr Mustafa Uthman Isma’il has stressed the importance of the Smart Partnership for the developing countries to cope with the regional and international developments especially in fields of economy, trade and information.

Dr Isma’il said that the Smart Partnership Summit avails an opportunity for the member countries to exchange ideas and experiences and come out with recommendations that help them in their future visions.

In a statement to SUNA, Dr Isma’il said that Sudan, in its capacity as chairman of IGAD (Inter-Governmental Authority on Development), can convey through its interventions at the summit its experience in halting war and achieving peace not at its internal arena only but also in Somalia and a number of the countries of the region through negotiations.

Dr Isma’il said Sudan can also reflect the big progress achieved in the economic domain especially in oil, sugar industry and the financial policies.

Dr Isma’il lauded the stances adopted by Swaziland Kingdom towards Sudan in the regional and international arenas, referring to its recent voting in favour of Sudan at the Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

Dr Isma’il told SUNA that Sudan is keen to promote relations with Swaziland Kingdom and the countries of south Africa and consolidate cooperation for the joint interest.

Dr Isma’il added that the visit of the President of the Republic Gen. Umar al-Bashir to Swaziland, which is the first of its kind, avail an opportunity to exchange points of view on the joint cooperation fields, pointing to the participation of the King of Swaziland kingdom in the COMESA (Common Market for Southern and Eastern Africa) summit, held in Khartoum recently.