European Union announces the arrival of its new foreign affairs chief to Sudan

02:38 PM February, 26 2020

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Ambassador Robert van den Dool, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Sudan briefed the Sudanese press that H.E. Josep Borrell Fontelles, the European Union High Representative and Vice President of the EU Commission will arrive in Sudan next Saturday on an official two day visit. Here are the following EU Ambassador remarks to the media:

I would like to announce to the Sudanese press the arrival of the EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Vice-President of the European Commission for a two day visit to Sudan on 29 February 2020 and 01 March 2020.

Mr. Borrell 's visit to Sudan will be at the occasion of attending a Ministerial meeting of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Khartoum. Sudan is chairing the IGAD and the presence of the EU HRVP is a sign of support to role, efforts and determination by the leaders of the region in horn of Africa to achieve peace, security, stability and development. The EU supports the IGAD countries and the Sudanese presidency to attain and accomplish those goals.

Mr. Borrell is also visiting Sudan to hold meetings with the leaders of Sudan including H.E Lt. General Abdel Fatah Burhan, the President of the Transitional Sovereign Council and with H.E. Dr. Abdullah Hamdok, the Prime Minister. Mr. Borrell will also visit El Fasher, were he will meet with the International organisations like the UN agencies, internally displaced people, women and young leaders in Sudan.

On Saturday, Mr. Borrell will visit the University of Khartoum to deliver a lecture on the anticipated EU role in Sudan and to meet and encounter with the Sudanese young men and women who led the Sudanese peaceful revolution.

The EU objectives in Sudan are very obvious and open. We want to support the transitional government and the people of Sudan in their momentus change towards an inclusive, peaceful and prosperus democracy. The visit of Mr. Borrell reaffirms this partnership on an equal footing between the new Sudan and the European Union. During his visit the EU HRVP will announce details of the support the EU is preparing for the transitional process of the new Sudan. We look forward to cooperate on peace, development and good governance placing human rights and democracy at the center of our commitment and engagement.

During his visit to North Darfur, Mr. Borrell will focus and emphasize on the importance of peace in Sudan, provision of humanitarian aid, access to international organizations and to visit and meet with internally displaced people, emphasize that justice matters to the victims of conflicts, whom their case should not be overlooked and remembered.

This is the highest visit by a European Union official to Sudan in years and comes 3 months after the visit of H.E. Dr. Abdullah Hamdok and his meeting with the EU foreign ministers in Brussels on 11/11/2019.

In 2019, the leadership of the European Union has changed. It has a new President, new commissioner, new HRVP, new council and a new elected parliament. The first objective of the visit is to confirm that the new leadership in the EU will continue to support Sudan, the Sudanese people and the transitional government in Sudan. The EU wants to support the Sudanese aspiration to liberty and want the people of Sudan to succeed. We want their call for liberty to be heard, and to translate into real change for a country that has already suffered too much.

H.E. Borrell brings with him a high level delegation which will have the opportunity to listen to the challenges, visit the situation on the ground, consult with the key actors in Sudan, focus on the opportunities and the hopes for the future and to thrust on the way forward for a stable, positive and effective transitional period for Sudan.

Mr. Borrell is the EU new Foreign and Security Affairs Chief. He is a former Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation. He is also the former president of the European University Institute, former Chair of the Committee on Development in the European Parliament, former president of the European Parliament, former member of the Parliament of Spain, former Minister of Public works, Transport, Telecommunications and the Environment and he was in charge of various other European and Spanish institutions.

Thank you

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