Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with his Sudanese counterpart
Omar al-Bashir in Sochi on November 23, 2017. AFP PHOTO | SPUTNIK |
MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the
International Criminal Court for genocide and war crimes, on Thursday
asked Russia's Vladimir Putin to protect his country from the US.
Speaking
during his first visit to Russia as president, Bashir also said he
wanted to ramp up military ties and praised Moscow's military campaign
in Syria.
"We have been dreaming about this visit for a
long time," the Sudanese president told President Putin at the Black
Sea resort of Sochi.
Armed forces
"We
are thankful to Russia for its position on the international arena,
including Russia's position in the protection of Sudan. We are in need
of protection from the aggressive acts of the United States."
The Sudanese leader praised his earlier meeting with Russian Defence minister Sergei Shoigu.
"We are currently launching a programme to modernise our armed
forces and we agreed with the Defence minister that Russia will
contribute to this," President Bashir said.
President Putin said that Russia was keen to intensify economic ties including in agriculture and energy.
"There are prospects not only in the hydrocarbon sphere but also in energy," President Putin said.
"There are many prospects of cooperation."
The
visit came a month after the US lifted a trade embargo it imposed on
the impoverished African state in 1997 over Khartoum's alleged backing
of Islamist militant groups.
US President Donald Trump also removed Sudan from a list of countries facing a US travel ban.
The conflict
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