Sudan addresses world with messages of peace and openness

▁Khartoum 2019 OnePress

In a move that reflects Sudan's openness to various international cultural and religious references, Prime Minister Dr. Kamel Idris held high-level talks with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican State, during an official visit accompanied by a high-level ministerial, diplomatic and security delegation.

The prime minister received a high-level official reception at the Vatican, reflecting the prestige and diplomatic importance of the visit.

The Sudanese delegation included the Minister of Culture, Information, Antiquities and Tourism, Mr. Khaled Al-Iseer, the Special Representative of the Prime Minister, Dr. Hussein Al-Khalifa Al-Sadiq Al-Hafyan, and the Deputy Director General of the General Intelligence Service, Lieutenant General Abbas Mohammed Bakhit, as well as the Adviser to the Prime Minister, Nizar Abdullah Mohammed, and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Muawiya Othman Khalid.

Sudan’s Ambassador to Rome, Ambassador Imad Eddine Mirghani, Sudan’s Ambassador to Geneva, Ambassador Hassan Hamid, and Counsellor Salah Mohamed Ishaq, Charg▁Business. d’Affaires of the Sudanese Embassy in Paris, also participated in the talks.

On the Vatican side, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Vatican, and Mihaita Blaj, Deputy Secretary of Relations with States, participated in the official meetings held with the Sudanese Prime Minister.

The visit comes within the framework of the Sudanese government's efforts to promote humanitarian dialogue and understanding among peoples and religions, and to consolidate the values of peace, coexistence and mutual respect, as well as to mobilize international support for the Sudan Peace Initiative.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister reviewed the Sudanese government's vision to achieve peace and stability and stop the war, stressing Sudan's keenness to extend bridges of communication with various international religious and cultural references to serve regional and international stability and promote the values of human brotherhood and coexistence.

Dr. Kamel Idris stressed that Sudan appreciates the moral and humanitarian role played by the Vatican State in supporting peace and dialogue among peoples, pointing to the importance of employing culture, media and soft power in the face of hate speech and division, and building human awareness based on tolerance and respect for diversity.

In the same context, a statement issued by the Vatican Press House said that His Holiness the Pope received the Prime Minister of Sudan, before later meeting with the Secretary of State of the Vatican Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in the presence of Deputy Secretary of Relations with the countries Mihaita Blaj.

The statement pointed out that the meetings were characterized by a friendly atmosphere and harmony of visions, stressing the importance of relations between the Vatican and Sudan, and the role played by the Vatican in serving the common good and supporting Sudanese society.

The talks also dealt with the crisis that the Sudan has been going through for more than three years as a result of the war. They stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire, the facilitation of humanitarian access to the affected population and the creation of conditions for an honest and comprehensive national dialogue between the various components of the Sudanese people with a view to ending the conflicts and building sustainable peace.

The two sides also discussed developments in the political and humanitarian situation in Sudan, efforts to maintain the unity of the country and restore security and stability, as well as enhancing humanitarian cooperation with international institutions to support the Sudanese people during the current stage.

The Vatican expressed its deep interest in the situation in Sudan, stressing its support for efforts to stop the war and achieve peace, especially the initiative put forward by the government of hope led by Prime Minister Dr. Kamel Idris.

Observers believe that this important visit and the high-level meetings that accompanied it reflect the seriousness of the Sudanese state in presenting its vision for peace to the international community, and enhance its diplomatic presence in international forums, as well as the importance of openness to major religious and humanitarian references to support peace and stability efforts.

This visit is the first of its kind and a bold and unprecedented step in the course of Sudanese diplomacy, as it carries important implications in terms of strengthening Sudan's relations with countries and international institutions concerned with the Sudanese issue and opening new horizons for cooperation in the fields of peace and humanitarian support, with the expected positive impact it will have in supporting Sudan's efforts towards stability and consolidating its position in regional and international forums.

The visit also carries a clear and deep political, diplomatic and humanitarian message that Sudan is continuing to promote dialogue, civilizational communication and openness to the world, and adopt a moderate discourse that supports peace and coexistence, and establishes international relations based on cooperation and mutual respect.