Russia ready to establish diplomatic ties with Southern Sudan

Russia is ready to establish diplomatic relations with Southern Sudan, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday. “The attainment of state sovereignty by Southern Sudan will open the way to a further development of bilateral relations on the basis of principles of friendship, mutual respect, true business partnership,” the diplomat noted. “We are ready to establish diplomatic relations with a new state in Africa,” he stressed. “We expect to shortly hold precisely focused negotiations on that issue with representatives of Southern Sudan and fix the agreements reached on their results in documents,” Lukashevich was quoted by Itra-Tass news agency as saying. Lukashevich said the ceremony to proclaim the independence of Southern Sudan will be held on July 9. “Russia sends to this ceremony a delegation, which will be led by Russian president’s special envoy for cooperation with Africa Mikhail Margelov, who is chairman of the international affairs committee at the Federation Council upper house of parliament,” Lukashevich said. “He has an instruction to relay a message of the Russian president to the leadership of Southern Sudan and the head of that new state,” the diplomat added.