Kubinka (Moscow region). August 24. INTERFAX-Russia is ready to intensify cooperation with Sudan in the military-technical sphere, the head of Rosoboronexport, Alexander Mikheev, told Interfax.
"The leadership of the Russian Federation attaches great importance to increasing military-technical cooperation with Sudan. (...) If the Sudanese side applies, Rosoboronexport is ready to consider applications for cooperation in any area of our competence," Mikheev said.
Speaking about cooperation between Russia and Sudan, he recalled that the countries signed an intergovernmental agreement on the construction of a material and technical base of the Russian Navy in Sudan.
On July 1, it was reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted to the State Duma a bill on ratification of the agreement with Sudan on the construction of a navy base on the Red Sea. The agreement was signed in Khartoum on July 23, 2019 and in Moscow on December 1, 2020.
The State Duma of the new convocation will not delay the ratification of the agreement on the naval base in Sudan, chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutsky told Interfax on July 12.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that for their part, the Sudanese authorities are also preparing to start the procedure for ratifying this agreement. However, the Sudanese Foreign Minister Maryam al-Mahdi noted that the document signed by the former government will be discussed in accordance with the new legislative mechanisms.
In early June, the Chief of the General Staff of Sudan, Mohammed Osman al-Hussein, announced the country's intention to review the agreement with the Russian Federation on the naval base. According to him, since the agreement was signed under the previous regime and was not ratified by the legislative body, the Sudan has the opportunity to make amendments and changes taking into account the interests of the country.
