First Vice President receives US Assistant Secretary of State

The First Vice President of the Republic, Lt Gen Barki Hassan Salih, on Thursday received the US Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan, in the presence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Professor Ibrahim Ghandour.

Professor Ghandour has pointed out in press statements following the meeting that the meeting focused on the bilateral relations between the Sudan and the USA and means of developing and boosting them further.

He said the Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan has confirmed the resolve of his country to normalize relations with the Sudan and that it appreciates the role Sudan plays in the region, especially in south Sudan.

He said the US official has pointed out during the meeting that his country looks forwards to establishing normal relations between the two states.

Foreign Minister Ghandour has stressed that the government of Sudan is committed to the resolutions of the UN Security council with regards to DPRK and that the Sudan is committed not to have any trade or military relations with North Korea and that the Sudan looks forwards to see the Korean peninsula free of any nuclear weapons.

He expressed hope that the differences would be resolved through diplomatic channels, given the fact that the world and that region of the world, would not tolerate any catastrophe that might lead to war between the superpowers some of whom possess lethal weapons and that friends and innocent people in the region would pay the price if such a war is to break.

On his part the US Assistant Secretary of State, Sullivan, pointed out that during the past 16 months talks were held between Khartoum and Washington on ways of boosting the bilateral relations. He referred to his country's revoking the economic sanctions against the Sudan. 
He added that his visit comes within the context of holding talks with the foreign minister and with the First Vice President to see how to develop the relations in the coming phase would.

He said his meeting with the First Vice President Bakri Hassan Salih, touched on issues of mutual interest and on reinvigorating the UN Security council's resolution on North Korea beside issues related to human rights and to religious freedoms which he said were highly important for the United States of America, as well as on discussion of trade relations with the Sudan and means of boosting them further.

The US official said the dialogue with the Sudan was going in a positive way, and that the talks started since the time of former US president Barak Obama and continue during the term of President Donald Trump, resulting in the lifting of the economic sanctions. He said he was confident talks with the Sudan would continue on issues related to human right, religious tolerance and improvement of bilateral relations.

Sullivan said the talks also touched on the question of lifting the name of the Sudan from the list of states sponsors of international terrorism, expressing his hope that the talks would lead to that end.

He said today they were able to lay the foundation stone for huge confidence between the two sides, and that he hopes that the would in the end lead to lifting the name of the Sudan from the list of countries sponsor of international terrorism.