May 24, 2006 — A senior Sudanese official said Tuesday his country is keen to work in cooperation with Ethiopia on various economic matters.

Speaking at the Ethio-Sudan Border Commission forum in the western border town of Assosa, Abdurahman Mohammed Hamid, administrator of the Blue Nile Administration in Sudan, said his country is keen to cooperate with Ethiopia in general, and neighboring Benshangul-Gumuz state in particular on economic and social spheres.

The official said his government has a firm stand to jointly work with the state government on border trade control and peace, adding that both countries need to exert concerted efforts to further bolster their development.

According to Abdurahman, people of the two countries are currently benefiting from border trade, and went on to state that the Sudanese government is ready to improve the existing backward trade on pack animals.

Yaregal Ayshesum, chief administrator of Benshangul-Gumuz state,on his part said both the Ethiopian government and people were delighted to learn that the civil war in southern Sudan has stopped and the country has turned its face towards development.

Yaregal said the border trade between the two countries has not reached the desired level and added that much is expected from the people of the two countries to curb illicit trade.

Roads from Assosa-Kumruk, Gilgel-Beles-Guba and Assosa- Sherkole Gizen are constructed with a view to strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries, he said, asking the Sudanese government to exert similar efforts.

Source: Xinhua