Russian foreign minister pays visit to Sudan

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Thursday for meetings with the country's top officials.

According to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement, Lavrov was received by army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council, his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and acting Foreign Minister Ali As-Sadiq Ali.

Speaking at a news conference in Khartoum, following a meeting with Sadiq Ali, Lavrov said Moscow appreciates Sudan's interest in Russia's investments, and considers possibilities for expanding them.

He added that some Russian companies have already been working in Sudan, and thanked the government for comfort conditions created for them.

"We have many tasks in the field of trade, economy, investment, and humanitarian cooperation. A number of Russian companies are working in Sudan, primarily in the field of development of the mineral resource base," he said.

Lavrov welcomed Khartoum's decision to block the movement of terror groups across the border between Sudan and the Central African Republic.

Asked about the activities of the Russian private military companies in Sudan, Lavrov said the mercenaries were officially invited by the African countries where they operate.

"Their work is a contribution to the normalization of the situation in the region as a whole, where terrorist gangs continue to be active," he stressed.