Under the gracious auspices of Vice President of the Republic Ustaz Ali Osman Mohammed Taha, the Sudanese Media Center, under the participation of the European-Sudanese Public Affairs Council (ESPAC), has organized a forum on Sudanese-European relations during the period 10-12 March 2008. Over the span of three days, five sessions were held to review five work papers, which were as follows:
1-Historical Relations between Sudan and Europe Dr. Mohammed Kheir Al-Badawi 2-Economic Relations and Prospects of Investment Dr. Abdel Moneim Al-A''sam 3-Out of Step with the Hyperpower? (European Union and Sudan) Prof. Paul Moorcraft 4-The European Community and Issues of Sudan – Darfur Crisis as a sample David Hoile 5-American Influence on the Progress of Sudanese-European Relations Dr. Ahmed Al-Amin Al-Bashir The Forum aspired to run a rational and composed dialogue to explore common factors that will boost these relations and push forth means of cooperation between the two sides to better be able to dedicate efforts to development, establishment of the milestones of comprehensive peace, triggering a positive transformation in the progress of these relations and enhancing the European dialogue via the outcome and recommendations of the Forum.
The Forum was also aimed at taking note of the dimensions of Sudanese-European relations, foreign policy trends of the two sides, the feasibility of investigating the prospects of these relations and the creation of political, media-oriented and diplomatic bent that underscores the need for upgrading political, economic and cultural ties between the two sides as well as open outlets with the European Union as an influential group in view of its role in the international community.
The inaugural session of the Forum was addressed by Vice President of the Republic Ustaz Ali Osman Mohammed Taha who affirmed that the demand for European aid in the field of development is a deserved humanitarian right rather than an act of supplication, indicating that European countries abstained from extending that aid to Sudan and other countries to help them address their civil wars, which, he stressed, are a result of European policies during the colonial period.
He expressed his hope that the Forum comes out with indicators for enhancing the humanitarian partnership which, he added, is now subjected to turmoil and convulsions offset by the desire for acquisition, hegemony and domination, alerting to the crucial question of how to establish relations that can pave the way for building humanitarian relations that put an end to conflict and bolster peace. At the conclusion of his address he underlined the need for devising cultural criteria and indicators that head for a world that is more secure and more stable.
The work papers were then subjected to exhaustive and fruitful interpolations and debates by the participants, and eventually came out with the following recommendations: 1 - Honouring religious beliefs, promoting international cooperation for combating all forms of terrorism to actualize international peace, respect of law, evolvement of an equitable economic system and encouragement of sustainable dialogue for building a cohesive system based on equality. 2 -Activating the role of the media to undertake its role to reflect the true image of Sudan in order to counter the premeditated distortion of that image by the mechanism of the international media. 3 -Seeking to instate the milestones of peace in the country, maintain a Sudan that is unified in both territory and people, adopt the dialogue avenue through fulfillment of the pledges aimed at rehabilitation and comprehensive development, particularly by donor countries that made those pledges in Oslo, Addis Ababa, Kuala Lumpur and Cairo., 4 -Bilaterally and collectively striving to boost relations with European countries, activating the spheres of political consultation, polarizing economic support and attracting investment, scaling up direct cooperation with the European Union, exploiting the technical aid via the African-Caribbean Pacific Group. 5 -Building bridges with continental, international and region organizations to step up humanitarian interests, counter perils threatening the developing countries and opposing unpolarism. 6 -Building a comprehensive national strategy to control and endorse the routes and progress of the national economy. 7 -Establishing a balanced and equitable economic and developmental partnership between Sudan and Europe in view of the abundant potentials and resources of Sudan and Europe''s need for these potentials and resources.
