Sudan, Belarus sign landmark deal highlighting economic boost

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday signed in Khartoum a Comprehensive Friendship and Cooperation Agreement between the two countries.

The two presidents on Tuesday co-chaired joint talks session between the two sides at the Presidential Palace in Khartoum.

The two presidents also witnessed the signing of four cooperation agreements between the two countries in fields of energy, justice, higher education and investment.

"The friendship and cooperation agreement between the two countries constitutes a legal framework for the actually standing cooperation between the two sides in a manner that contributes to enhance it, develop it and push it toward a wider horizon," said al-Bashir when addressing the joint talks session.

"We are glad to express our welcome for the Belarusian companies and businessmen to invest in Sudan and make use of the promising opportunities. We reiterate our directives for the concerned authorities in Sudan to provide all necessary facilitations and special privileges for Belarus," he noted.

He further pointed to the standing cooperation between Sudan and Belarus in military and security fields, particularly between the Belarus' State Military Industrial Committee and Sudan's Military Industry Corporation.

Lukashenko, for his part, said that "there is a standing political and economic cooperation between our two countries. There will be a strategic relationship between us."

He added that "my country seeks to help Sudan in agriculture, energy, technology, education and health."

The Belarusian president arrived in Khartoum on Monday in an official two-day visit to Sudan.

On the sidelines of Lukashenko's visit, a forum for the businessmen from the two countries was held to discuss opportunities of investment and economic cooperation. Endit