Russia to Continue Supporting Talks Between Sudan, South Sudan

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow will continue providing support for Sudan and South Sudan in the bilateral negotiations on resolving issues between the two African countries.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Moscow will continue providing support for Sudan and South Sudan in the bilateral negotiations on resolving issues between the two African countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.

The statement was made in the fields of the talks between Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Sudan Ibrahim Ghandour and their counterpart in South Sudan Benjamin Barnaba, held in Moscow on September 9-11.

According to Ghandour, Sudan and South Sudan plan to conclude an agreement after the Moscow talks.

“Of course, we will be ready to respond to the requests of our partners and… to continue to provide not only logistical but also substantial assistance in these negotiations,” Lavrov said during a joint press conference with Ghandour and Barnaba.

Relations between the two African countries have been poor since South Sudan became independent from Sudan in July 2011. The two countries have not been able to agree on several issues, including the definition of borders and conducting a referendum on the status of the disputed oil-rich border area of Abyei.