Sheikh Zayed called for an Arab summit during his meeting with al-Bashir

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has described his short visit held on Saturday to the UAE, during which he received the backing of UAE President Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al-Nahyan for the Sudanese national reconciliation efforts, as "successful."

He told journalists upon his return back to Khartoum's airport that "Sheikh Zayed stressed his backing for Sudan and told me that the decisions taken on December 12 encourage him to deal with the Sudanese government with all confidence."

Al-Bashir added that the aim of his visit was to "explain these decisions to the UAE officials" and that the UAE president vowed to "effectively take part in reaching peace, reconciliation and development in Sudan."

During his meeting with al-Bashir, Sheikh Zayed called on the Arab leaders to convene an Arab summit apart from their disputes and divisions in order to consider the future of the Arab states.