PRESIDENT INVITES MALAYSIAN PM NAJIB TO VISIT SUDAN

KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 (Bernama) -- President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir has
invited Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to visit Sudan.

The invitation was conveyed by Bashir's special envoy and Minister of
Energy and Mining Al-Zubair Ahmed Hassan when he met Najib in Putrajaya
recently, Sudanese ambassador to Malaysia, Nadir Yousif Eltayeb, said.

"He (Najib) promised that he will consider this," Nadir told Bernama.

Two former prime ministers -- Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi -- had visited Sudan, Africa's largest country, during their tenure.

Nadir said Hassan also handed a written message from Bashir to Najib
congratulating him on his recent appointment as prime minister.


The message, among others, expressed the wish that the bilateral relations
between Sudan and Malaysia would reach greater heights during Najib's tenure.

Malaysia is Sudan's second most important economic partner, after China, and
one of its major investors. Petronas, Malaysia's national oil corporation, is a
key player in Sudan's growing oil and gas industry.

Nadir said that during the 45-minute meeting, they discussed bilateral and
economic cooperation and Hassan invited the Malaysian government and private
sector to invest in sectors such as construction, agriculture, industries,
mining and oil and gas in the country of some 40 million people.

Hassan also thanked Malaysia for hosting some 2,000 Sudanese students in
Malaysian universities and collages.

Nadir said Najib stated that Kuala Lumpur-Khartoum relations would continue
to be strong and would be strengthened in the years to come, both economically
and politically.

The Sudanese minister also thanked Petronas for doing a good work
in the economic development of Sudan, describing Petronas as a model of good
cooperation between the two countries, he said.

-- BERNAMA