Jordan PM received by Sudanese counterpart in Khartoum

By Mohammed Amin

KHARTOUM (AA) - Jordanian Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki arrived in Khartoum on Thursday, where he was received at the airport by Sudanese counterpart Bakri Hassan Salih.

During his two-day visit to Sudan, al-Mulki is expected to sign a host of cooperation agreements -- including several economic deals -- with the Sudanese government.

On Wednesday, government ministers from both countries held a series of preparatory meetings in Khartoum in advance of al-Mulki’s arrival.

Industry Minister Yarob Falah, who headed up Jordan’s ministerial delegation, told reporters on Wednesday that the two sides planned to sign as many as 10 memorandums of understanding on Thursday.

The agreements, he said, would focus mainly on bilateral trade, strategic planning, electricity production, education, industry, mining, media and culture.

Falah also stressed that officials from both countries hoped to increase the annual bilateral trade volume -- which currently stands at some $120 million -- in coming years.

Sudanese Industry Minister Musa Karama, for his part, said Khartoum hoped to double the current level of bilateral trade and expand Jordanian investment in the country.