Third Session of Intergov't Commission With Sudan to Take Place by 2016

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that the third session of the intergovernmental commission with Sudan will take place in Khartoum.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The third session of the intergovernmental commission with Sudan is set to take place by the end of 2015, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.

"The bilateral intergovernmental commission on economic and trade cooperation is playing an important role. We have confirmed the need and readiness to hold a third session in Khartoum by the end of this year," Lavrov said.

The Russian top diplomat made his statement during a press-conference with his counterparts from Sudan and South Sudan, who arrived in Moscow for trilateral talks.

Russia and Sudan have maintained a strong economic and political partnership. Following the previous meeting of the Russian-Sudanese Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation in December 2014, Moscow and Khartoum agreed to promote cooperation in a wide range of areas, including health care, mineral prospecting, industry and finance.

Russia has pledged to write off $17 million of Sudan's debt to Russia. The move was helpful to Sudan as their economy has diminished due to a protracted civil war and loss of oil revenue in 2011, following South Sudan's secession.

In August, Sudanese Finance Ministry Undersecretary Abdel-Rahman Dirar told Sputnik that Khartoum was taking initial steps to join BRICS, an alliance of emerging economies, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.