Russia's Putin accepts Bashir invitation to Sudan

Thomson Reuters

CAIRO (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted an invitation from his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir to visit the North African country, Sudan's state news agency said on Thursday.

Putin, fresh from an election victory granting him his fourth term and extending his leadership of Russia by six years, called Bashir on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations, SUNA said.

Bashir congratulated Putin who affirmed his country's commitment to investing in Sudan's energy, oil, gas, and gold mining sectors.

"The president extended an invitation to the Russian president to visit Sudan and discuss developing relations and building a strategic partnership and Putin accepted the invitation," SUNA said. It provided no date for the visit.

Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court in the Hague for genocide and crimes against humanity in Sudan's Darfur region, and is mostly shunned by Western leaders.

Sudan will sign a "roadmap" with Russia to build nuclear power stations during a visit to Moscow by Khartoum's electricity minister, SUNA reported earlier this month.

(Reporting by Ali Abdelaty; writing by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Peter Graff)

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