Sudanese Minister of Energy and Mining Al Zubair Ahmed Al Hassan Tuesday highlighted the shared desire of Sudan and China to enhance their ties of cooperation and friendship.

The Sudanese minister made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua at the Chinese Embassy in Sudan, where a party was held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Sudan.

He said the celebrations which were being held in Khartoum and Beijing on the gold jubilee of diplomatic relations "demonstrated the desire of both Sudan and China to inaugurate a new stage in which the existing cooperation will be expanded."

Hassan said the occasion deserved the celebration and joy since the relations between the two countries had witnessed a continuous development and promotion one day after another.

"One of the prominent reasons behind the smooth development of ties between Khartoum and Beijing is a commitment of the two sides to mutual respect and the acknowledgement of any country's right to maintain unity and stability," he said.

During the past 10 years, Hassan added, the bilateral relations witnessed a big leap due to the participation of Chinese companies in the construction and development in Sudan in the fields of oil, irrigation, electricity and agriculture.

Hassan hoped that in the coming period the cooperation between the two countries would be enhanced and that more Chinese companies would enter Sudan.

(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2009)