Khartoum — Sudan participated, with a delegation headed by the Minister of Commerce, Ambassador Salah Mohamed Al-Hassan, in the meetings of the Framework Agreement for trade and investment between COMESA countries and the United States of America in Zambia (Lusaka). The Minister of Trade, in a statement to SUNA after returning home Wednesday, that his participation in the two-day meetings during February 7-8 touched on investment opportunities in COMESA region for the US companies and institutions. Ambassador Al-Hassan explained that the meetings touched on access of the COMESA’s states’ exports to the United States, referring to Sudan receiving of an invitation to participate in the ministerial-level meetings by the COMESA secretariat.

The minister said that his speech to the meeting touched on the financial embargo resulting from the US administration’s economic sanctions imposed on Sudan, which has had a negative impact on the health and development aspects as well as the commercial exchange with COMESA countries. The Minister of Commerce urged the US delegation participated in the meetings to lift economic sanctions, particularly that Sudan responded to the request of the US administration to allow exporting gum Arabic. The minister pointed out that the head of the US delegation explained that once Sudan responds to a number of human rights-related requirements and stops the war, then it will be ineligible for US aid as well as the freedom of commercial exchange and the return of US investments.

The Ambassador Al-Hassan said he would inform the Minister of International Cooperation and Foreign Minister to contact the Chargé D’affaires of the US Embassy in Khartoum to begin negotiating measures on lifting the financial embargo on Sudan, according to the recommendations of the head of the US delegation and the COMESA secretariat as through the negotiation Sudan can be eligible for US support, which is to be provided to the COMESA region through the Growth and Opportunity Act to Africa in the fields of infrastructure and agricultural and industrial projects.

Source: All Africa

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