14 February 2018•Update: 14 February 2018
ANKARA
Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour on Wednesday urged members of Turkey’s business community to visit Sudan, which, he said, hoped to attract more Turkish investment.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ghandour -- now in Turkey for the 2nd Turkey-Africa Ministerial Review Conference -- spoke about Turkey-Sudan relations, social and economic cooperation, and his recent meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Describing Erdogan's visit to Sudan last December as "historical", Ghandour said: “His Excellency’s visit to Sudan is a message about strengthening the relations between Sudan and Turkey."
He went on to cite 13 agreements in various fields that were recently signed between the two countries.
“My message to investors in Turkey is to enhance the economic collaboration between the countries by investing in Sudan, especially in the fields of agriculture and mining," Ghandour said.
He pointed out that he had met Serdar Cam, the head of Turkey’s Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), with whom he had discussed numerous topics, not least of which was Sudan’s Suakin Island.
Stressing that both the Turkish and Sudanese governments had resolved the Suakin Island issue, Ghandour noted that he had been asked about Turkish projects on the Island during Erdogan’s recent visit.
Praising TIKA's efforts -- both on Suakin Island and in Sudan in general -- the Sudanese FM described the island as a symbol of the two counties’ shared history.
According to Ghandour, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Hakan Cavusoglu, along with TIKA’s Cam, are set to visit Port Sudan, Nyala and Khartoum on Feb. 20 to discuss TIKA initiatives.
Sudan-Egypt tension
Asked about the current state of Egypt-Sudan relations, Ghandour said he had been in Egypt earlier this month, where he had met Sameh Shukry, his Egyptian counterpart.
“As you know, various problems have been arising between both countries,” Ghandour told Anadolu Agency.
“We had an important and fruitful discussion in Cairo and agreed upon a period of brotherhood and transparency," he said, going on to describe Sudan's relationship with Egypt as both “historical” and “strategic”.
Reporting by Zuhal Demirci:Writing by Ali Murat Alhas
