Britain hopeful of restoring full diplomatic relations with Sudan
Sudan-UK, Politics, 6/24/1999

Britain said Wednesday that it was hopeful that full normal diplomatic relations will be restored with Sudan following a meeting held on Wednesday between British Foreign Office Minister Geoffrey Hoon and Sudanese permanent under-secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hassan Abdin, MAP reported.

Following the American air raid on the Al Shifa plant in Khartoum last August, the Sudanese government asked the UK to withdraw its ambassador to protest Britain's support of the US action.

Abdin's visit is the first by such a high-level Sudanese official since the troubles between the two countries over the Al Shifa issue.

Sudan insists that it is a pharmaceutical private company and that it was never involved in the production of chemical weapons.

A spokesman for the foreign office said, "We are keen to restore full diplomatic ties with Sudan so that we would be involved again in the peace process in southern Sudan and resume our humanitarian aid to that region."

"We are ready for an agreement and we are hopeful that the Sudanese side was also keen on that."

The spokesman said that if an agreement was reached "our diplomatic staff and ambassador would be sent back to Sudan as soon as possible."

"We want to put behind us this episode and look at the future," the spokesman went on.

Sudan also withdrew its ambassador from London.

Hoon said yesterday in a speech given to the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding in London, "I am hopeful, too, that British staff will soon be able to return to the Sudan. Peace in the Sudan remains a priority." He added, "We have put considerable effort into the search for peace. Derek Fatchett's visit to Nairobi and Khartoum last year led to a ceasefire in Bahr el Ghazal," noting that the ceasefire was recently renewed.

"Our support for the efforts of the peace negotiators, led by Kenya, continues. I hope the talks now scheduled for July will take place and lead to an accelerated negotiation," Hoon said.

Previous Stories:
  Sudanese FM to meet with British counterpart tomorrow   (9/22/1998)
  Britain for restoring normal relations with Sudan   (9/10/1998)
  Britain withdraws its ambassador from Sudan, warns Brits to leave   (8/28/1998)

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