February 12, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese foreign minister, Ali Karti, said on Tuesday that Khartoum is not opposed to the role played by the United Nations in his country and called for expanding humanitarian assistance provided by the world body.

Sudan’s foreign minister Ali Karti (REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

Sudan’s top diplomat said that his government differentiates between UN for peace and agendas adopted by some countries hostile to Khartoum.

Karti made the remarks during his meeting with the representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Sudan, Ali Hassan Al-Zaatari.

The Sudanese minister expressed his country’s gratitude to the UN for programs and projects it is running, saying that it has led to a huge improvement in the humanitarian situation. He also called for extending UN aid to areas in the East and the north.

Karti praised Al-Zaatari’s handling and interaction with Sudan’s issues and for his efforts to help stabilise the situation in the country, noting that he is the first Arab official appointed to a senior UN position in Sudan.

For his part, Al-Zaatari pledged to expand the scope of projects through attracting support from international bodies. He welcomed the move by Khartoum to allow access by humanitarian groups to affected areas without requiring prior permission.

He praised the cooperation provided by the Sudanese government which enabled the UN to access areas in need of humanitarian assistance.

The UN official also stressed the importance of providing support to activists in the field of human rights and working to rehabilitate and train them.

(ST)