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Sudan Tribune

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U.S. Congressional delegation meets Sudan’s First Vice-President

Marshall Billingslea  speaks during a Senate Banking confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 (Getty Images)
Marshall Billingslea speaks during a Senate Banking confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 (Getty Images)

May 1, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s First Vice-President and Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Salih on Tuesday met with a visiting delegation from the United States Congress.

Member of the delegation, Dan Kildee, told reporters following the meeting that they discussed bilateral relations between Sudan and the U.S. as well as issues of human rights and religious freedom.

He expressed his happiness to visit Sudan, pointing out that the delegation has learned about Sudan’s great potential in the various fields.

“The visit offered a good opportunity to take a closer look at the overall situation in Sudan,” he said

Kildee also pointed to ongoing efforts to improve relations between Washington and Khartoum.

Meanwhile, the visiting delegation on Tuesday also met with Sudan’s Presidential Assistant Faisal Hassan Ibrahim in the presence of the Minister of Animal Resources Bishara Aror.

In press statements following the meeting, Aror told reporters the two sides discussed a number of issues including peace, national dialogue and religious freedoms.

He pointed out that the presidential aide briefed the delegation on the situation in Sudan after the national dialogue as well as the Roadmap agreement signed with the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP) to achieve peace in the country.

It is noteworthy that the Congressional delegation has arrived in Khartoum on Sunday on a three-day official visit at the invitation of Sudan’s National Legislature.

Last October, the U.S. Administration permanently lifted 20-year-old economic sanctions against Sudan citing positive actions on humanitarian access and counter-terrorism.

However, Washington left other sanctions in place for the time being, including those against individuals with arrest warrants related to atrocities committed during the conflict in Darfur.

Also, it didn’t remove Sudan’s name from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Sudanese officials insist on the need to remove Sudan from the list of terror states, pointing that the country cannot benefit from the debt relief and international development aid without this measure.

But Washington insists on the need to improve Human rights, religious freedom and other freedoms in a way to create a conducive environment for the opposition group to take part in the ongoing constitutional process after the signing of a peace agreement with the armed groups.

The two countries are engaged in a five-track process towards the full normalization of relations.

(ST)

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