Port Sudan [Sudan], May 6 (ANI): India and Sudan held the ninth round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), during which both sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation across multiple sectors, including counter-terrorism efforts.

According to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the talks were held in Port Sudan on Monday and were co-chaired by Joint Secretary (WANA) M Suresh Kumar and Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sudan Maowia Osman Khalid Mohammed.

The discussions covered a broad range of bilateral areas, including political engagement, trade, investment, capacity building, healthcare, education, energy, mining, agriculture, small and medium enterprises, digital public infrastructure, and people-to-people exchanges.

Both sides also exchanged views on regional and international developments of mutual interest, reaffirming their shared commitment to deepening South-South cooperation.

A key highlight of the talks was Sudan's strong condemnation of terrorism, including the attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam last year, with both sides reiterating their resolve to combat extremism in all its forms.

'They reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, including political, economic, trade, capacity building, health, education, energy, mining, agriculture, SMEs, digital public infrastructure and people-to-people ties and discussed ways to further strengthen the partnership,' the statement read.

'Sudan side reiterated their condemnation of the dastardly terrorist attack in Pahalgam last year and both sides resolved to fight the scourge of terrorism,' it added.

During the visit, the Indian delegation also met Sudan's Minister of Health, Heitham Mohammed Ibrahim, who appreciated India's humanitarian assistance and ongoing cooperation in the healthcare sector, including recent initiatives such as a prosthetic limb camp held in Sudan.

The delegation additionally called on the Governor of Red Sea State, Mustafa Md Noor, to discuss sub-national cooperation and development initiatives.

Both countries reviewed progress made since the last round of consultations and expressed satisfaction over the steady expansion of bilateral engagement.

India also highlighted its continued support through capacity-building programmes under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) initiative and ICCR scholarships, which Sudan acknowledged as important contributors to human resource development.

The two sides agreed to hold the next round of Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date, signalling continued momentum in bilateral diplomatic engagement. (ANI)