(19th November, 2022 )

Your Excellency Jibril Ibrahim Mohammed, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning of Sudan,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Friends,

Good morning. It gives me great pleasure to join you in signing the Agreement on Economic and Technological Cooperation between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of the Sudan and the Handover Certificate for Meteorological Aid Project. Let me extend my congratulations on the official signing of the economic and technical cooperation agreement and the handover certificate. I also feel happy for the people of Sudan who will benefit from it. As the latest outcomes of our practical cooperation, they will play a positive role in promoting Sudan’s economic and social development and renewing our traditional friendship.

For more than half a century, our two countries have maintained close friendship. We have seen bilateral relations break the waves and grow firmer and our two peoples forge brotherly ties. China always treats Sudan as an old friend and good partner that shares weal and woe with us. Since the 1970s, China has been providing grant assistance for Sudan. Over 110 aid projects have been successfully delivered here with concrete results. From water wells deep in the desert, productive cotton fields at the Nile riverside, to new office buildings of the majestic Presidential Palace, and the slaughter house beneficial to local people’s wellbeing, they are all products of aid projects conducted under our fruitful and vigorous cooperation.

Trying times often reveal the strength of true friendship. In the face of changes and COVID-19 both unseen in a century, our two governments and peoples have stayed our course of advancing cooperation, shown mutual support on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns, and worked together to explore our own path to development. At the critical moment of Sudan’s political transition, China will work as always to safeguard bilateral friendship, defend fairness and justice and promote shared development. China will better synergize strategy and plans with Sudan, and continue to provide assistance as much as we can. Our strategic consensus on amity and cooperation will stay unchanged. China is always a real friend for the people of Sudan.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Signing the new economic and technical cooperation agreement gives new impetus to economic and trade cooperation between our two sides. Going forward, I hope both sides will act in the spirit of mutually-beneficial cooperation, and take active steps to deliver the existing projects and discuss the preliminary procedures for new ones, so as to bring greater benefits to the Sudanese people. I am confident that with our concerted efforts, our bilateral cooperation will embrace a brighter future.

Thank you all.