Sudanese Foreign Minister Deng Alor on Tuesday stressed his country's keenness on strengthening relations with South Africa by virtue of the latter's broad contribution to the issues in Sudan.

"South Africa has played an important role in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), and is also actively participating in the peacekeeping force in Darfur," Deng Alor told reporters after talks with his South African counterpart Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

He indicated that the talks with his counterpart dealt with the issues of common interests between the two countries, with the Darfur crisis and the implementation of the CPA between northern and southern Sudan top on the agenda.

About South Africa's position on an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Courts (ICC) against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese foreign minister said South Africa's position did not differ from the position of the African Union, which decided unanimously not to deal with the ICC.

The South African foreign minister arrived in Khartoum on Monday evening on a three-day visit to Sudan, during which he is expected to hold talks with the Sudanese president and a number of Sudanese officials.

Source: Xinhua