Iran, Pakistan Voice Concern over Sudan Crisis
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The foreign ministers of Iran and Pakistan expressed concern about the recent developments in Sudan, as fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) entered a second week with hundreds killed and thousands injured.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Pakistan counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held a telephone conversation on Saturday.
The two senior diplomats expressed concern over the developments in Sudan and discussed the talks aimed at lifting the anti-Iranian sanctions.
Fighting in Sudan between the forces of two rival generals erupted on April 15, killing more than 400 people, igniting a humanitarian catastrophe, and raising fears of a prolonged and unpredictable civil war.
Battles continue to rage in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere between troops loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed “Hemedti” Hamdan Daglo, commander of the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Elsewhere in the telephone conversation, Amirabdollahian expressed pleasure with the progress in the cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad, saying Iran is ready to strengthen ties with Pakistan and remove obstacles to this end.
Amirabdollahian highlighted the commonalities of Iran and Pakistan, saying the neighbor-oriented foreign policy of the Iranian administration pays serious attention to Tehran-Islamabad ties.
Zardari, for his part, referred to growing relations between his country and Iran and Tehran’s special significance in the region, stressing the need for the expansion of ties between the two countries.
The two foreign ministers also held consultations about the relations between Tehran and Riyadh and other regional issues, including the efforts at peace in Ukraine.