EU delegation arrives for bilateral talks with Sudan

A delegation including 19 officials from the European Union (EU) has arrived in Khartoum in an effort to push forward the Sudanese-European dialogue on bilateral and regional issues of common concern.

Sudan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Gharib Allah Khidir said the delegation would engage in meetings with the Sudanese officials starting Tuesday. He said the consultations meetings come within the framework of the strategic dialogue between Sudan and the EU.

Talks will be held in presence of Sudan's Foreign Minister, Ibrahim Ghandour and the African Action Group of the EU, which includes all EU member states.

Meanwhile the EU Special Envoy for Religious Freedom, Jan Figel will arrive in Khartoum on Wednesday.

Financial support

Sudan has been under EU sanctions since the 1989 coup d’état and didn’t receive any development aid from Europe. In recent years the European body reconsidered its position following the waves of illegal migrants from Syria, Iraq, and Horn of Africa countries. Sudan is identified as a source of migrants to Europe and a transit country for migrants from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.

In April 2016, the EU officially allocated Sudan €100 million to improve the living conditions for refugees, help Sudanese returnees to reintegrate back into society, and to improve security at the border. In addition to this support, Sudan benefits from additional funding under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, in particular from a €40 million programme to better manage migration in the region.

(Source: Sudan Tribune)