Sudan and Malaysia to sign trade accords

Former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad Khartoum - Abedalgoum Ashmeag Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti is set to sign seven agreements during the Malaysian Sudan Trade and Investment Forum. The forum takes place from November 1 to 5 in Khartoum where a total of 36 companies and institutions will take part. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad arrived in Khartoum on Wednesday in order to participate in the forum. The Prime Minister was official invited by Sudan's First Vice President Ali Osman Taha. The forum is an opportunity for businessmen in both countries to exchange ideas and reinforce economic cooperation between Sudan and Malaysia, the Malaysian ambassador Mohamed Ashri said.  The ambassador said the bilateral relation between both countries is historical. He said PETRONAS Sudan Company in 1999 was a successful example for Malaysian investments in Sudan, which was considered the biggest Malaysian investment. It played an important role in discovering and extracting Sudanese oil, he said. This is Mahathir's second visit to Sudan and his firs was in 2005. In his visit to Sudan, Mahathir will also give a lecture about Malaysian economic model.