Sudan: Relations with Egypt a strategic choice, unity a goal
Sudan-Egypt, Politics, 9/26/1998

The Sudanese foreign minister confirmed that Sudanese - Egyptian relations are strategic, allowing for integration and unity of both countries, as Egypt and Sudan have joint interests in doing so, and in being an example of integration in an area depending on (regional) blocs.

In an interview with ArabicNews.com, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Othman Ismael said: this means the integration and unity of Egypt and Sudan.

He said that there are some unresolved issues between Egypt and Sudan relating to the policies of former Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi, who Ismael said abolished the joint defense agreement between the two countries, substituting false agreements taking Sudan backwards and thus harmed Egyptian - Sudanese relations.

After Sudan's National Salvation Revolution, the first months viewed an improvement in these relations, but this improvement disappeared after the Gulf War.

The Sudanese minister added that there are attempts by international and regional powers to weaken Sudan's unity, so the war in southern Sudan directly affects Egyptian - Sudanese national security as these attempts are to substitute the authorities in strategic regions which have great Arab national security interest, similar to what happened in the Congo.

He said that at the beginning of visits between the Egypt and Sudan, less than one year ago when the late Sudanese Vice President Zobier Mohammed Saleh traveled in October 1997 to Egypt where he met with President Mubarak, they began treating the issues surrounding bilateral relations.

Asked whether an improvement has been achieved on unresolved issues, Ismael said: "We have achieved great progress in river navigation beginning from the first of the current year, especially the link between Aswan cities and Halfa."

Moreover, he said Egypt and Sudan renewed the mutual protocol for Nile water, which had been halted six years ago, and noted the current visit of the ministers of irrigation and the visit of the Egyptian minister of health, who met with his Sudanese counterpart.

Previous Stories:
  Sudan hails Moussa - Othman Ismael meeting   (9/25/1998)
  Egypt starts reconciliation of Sudanese government and opposition   (9/22/1998)
  Sudan praises Egyptian mediation with the opposition   (9/19/1998)

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