Port Sudan, May 5 (IANS) India and Sudan held the ninth round of Foreign Office Consultations in Port Sudan, discussing progress in bilateral ties across various sectors. The officials of the two nations also spoke on regional issues of mutual interest.
“9th round of India-Sudan Foreign Office Consultation was held in Port Sudan on 4 May 2026, co-chaired by Joint Secretary (WANA) and Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Sudan,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a post on X.
“Both sides reviewed progress in bilateral relations since the last FOC, discussed cooperation in the fields of trade, capacity building, human resource development with special focus on health, education, mining, agriculture and SMEs. The two sides also exchanged views on regional issues of mutual interest,” it added.
Earlier in January, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a meeting with his Sudanese counterpart Mohieldin Salim Ahmed Ibrahim in New Delhi and reiterated India’s position for an end to violence in Sudan and return to dialogue.
In a post on X, EAM Jaishankar wrote: “A cordial meeting this afternoon with FM Mohieldin Salim Ahmed Ibrahim of Sudan. Reiterated India’s position for an end to violence in Sudan and return to dialogue. Discussed our ongoing humanitarian support and exchanges in education and capacity building. Committed to further activities in that regard.”
In January, Mohieldin Salim Ahmed Ibrahim was on an official visit to India to attend the second India Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi.
Ties between India and Sudan date back to ancient times. Evidences indicate that there were contacts and possibly trade almost 5,000 years ago between the Nilotic and the Indus Valley civilisations through Mesopotamia. The first Sudanese Parliamentary elections in 1953 were conducted by Sukumar Sen, then India’s Chief Election Commissioner, according to the Indian Embassy in Sudan.
In 1957, the Sudanese Election Commission drew heavily on Indian election norms and laws. India opened diplomatic representation in Khartoum in 1955.
–IANS
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