British delegation concludes visit to Sudan

A senior British delegation led by the permanent under-secretary at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Sir Simon McDonald, concluded yesterday a three day visit to Sudan to discuss bilateral relations.

“This visit of the British official reflects the level of development in relations between the two countries,” the Sudanese foreign ministry’s Under-Secretary Abdul-Ghani Al-Naeem told reporters following talks.

“We have discussed all issues…and reconfirmed the two countries’ willingness to enhance their relations,” he added.

McDonald said the two countries discussed international, regional and bilateral issues, and had productive discussions in all these areas.

“The United Kingdom and Sudan have historic relations and we are building on those historic relations,” he said, adding that relations between the two countries are not limited to political issues but also include economic, cultural and educational aspects.

Remarking on the situation in Darfur, Egyptian news site Masr Alarabia reported McDonald as saying that the peace process had taken a long time and there was still much to be done, but had still made significant steps forward.

A delegation of British businessmen will visit Sudan to discuss investment opportunities in the near future.