BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

20/12/2006

Sudan, Belarus sign a package of agreements

Sudan, Belarus sign a package of agreements Dec 19, 2006 (MINSK) - Sudan and isolated Belarusian government signed today a package of agreements on investment, information and sport cooperation, however Minsk said interested in furthering cooperation with Khartoum.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaks while his Sudanese counterpart Lam Akol listens during their meeting in Moscow on Wednesday, May 17, 2006. (AP)

The visiting Sudanese Foreign Minister and his Belarusian counterpart inked Monday an intergovernmental agreement on the promotion and safeguarding of investments. Meeting in Minsk, Lam Akol and Sergei Martynov also concluded an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of information and a protocol on sport cooperation.

"One of the agreements we signed today deals with protecting investments. Belarus is interested in major projects in Sudan, including energy, road construction and overall restoration of the country. We would like to contribute our technology and equipment;" said the Belarusian official.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, accused in the West of human rights violations, in a meeting with the Sudanese minister reiterated his intention to pay a visit to Sudan soon. The Sudanese president had invited him to visit Khartoum during his visit to Minsk at the end of July this year.

"We are interested in furthering cooperation with you. We will do our utmost to step up this cooperation;" he said.

The Belarusian said to the Sudanese minister that he would come to Sudan adding that before his visit he would like to "work through the projects which we discussed with him and which were initiated during our foreign minister's visit to Sudan. We would like this visit to be fruitful."

During his July visit, the president of Sudan has noted that his country needs new technologies and needs new economic sites to be built.

Belarus has proposed sales of tractors and farm equipment and Lukashenko said that if both sides moved quickly, good results on a deal could be achieved within 18 months. It has also suggested helping to develop Sudan's oil industry.

Belarus is one of the Sudan armament providers. A military cooperation protocol covering training, exchange of experiences, and military science fields was inked between the two countries on June 15, 2006.

The Sudanese Minister of Defence Gen. Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein who signed the deal has closed relations with the Belarusian officials since several years. When he was a minister of Interior he had visited Minsk in October 2004.

Belarus has exported weapons and military hardware to Sudan since 1996. In 1997 Belarus supplied Sudan with six Russian-made Mi-24B attack helicopters and nine Russian-made T-55 battle tanks in 1996.

June 20, 2005 Belarus has exported weapons and military hardware to Sudan since 1996. In 2003, it supplied that country with nine BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, 39 BRDM-2 armoured reconnaissance vehicles, 16 D-30 howitzer guns, 10 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers and six Grad multiple rocket launchers of two different versions.

In its 2004 report sent to the UN Register of Conventional Arms, the government notes that it supplied Sudan with 21 BRDM-2 armoured reconnaissance vehicles, seven BTR-80 and 10 BTR-70 armoured personnel carriers and a BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle.

In 2003, it supplied that country with nine BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, 39 BRDM-2 armoured reconnaissance vehicles, 16 D-30 howitzer guns, 10 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers and six Grad multiple rocket launchers of two different versions.

(ST)

Source:

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article19362