Khartoum- The Japanese Ambassador to the World Trade Organization and head of the team negotiating Sudan’s membership in it are set to arrive in Khartoum on Sunday for a briefing on the government’s preparations to join the WTO by the end of this year during its annual meeting in Argentina.

Hasan Ahmed Taha, Sudan’s representative in the negotiations, told Asharq Al-Awsat that his country has responded to all the conditions required for the membership. He hoped Sudan will join the organization this year, saying his country is ready to complete all the required legal and administrative reforms.

Taha said the Commerce Ministry is the main entity in charge of this matter and that the delegation aims at verifying the completion of documents on Khartoum’s official membership.

He noted that the Japanese Ambassador and the accompanying delegation will meet the prime minister and officials from the concerned ministries.

On the other hand, as part of Sudan’s openness to the international community after the partial lifting of the economic blockade, Germany has approved the establishment of a Sudanese bank in Berlin to facilitate economic and commercial activities between the countries. Khartoum is expected to receive a delegation of German businessmen after the completion of the lift in July.

Following his meeting with the German Ambassador to Sudan, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Badreddine Mahmoud Abbas said that his country requested the help of Berlin to acquire the European Union’s financial support and to import commodities from Germany. He also stressed the importance of developing economic ties between the countries and providing German businessmen and companies with all the needed facilities for investments.

The minister praised the decision taken by the German giant Siemens to resume its activities in Sudan in the field of energy, and pledged to facilitate its mission and provide it with the required help.

The minister said the establishment of the Sudanese bank in Germany aims to ease economic and financial cooperation, and improve collaboration between Sudanese and German banks in the near future.

He revealed that his country has proposed the establishment of a German free zone in Sudan to store German commodities and help it expand its activities in neighboring African countries.

The minister also suggested to the German ambassador to hold a joint meeting of businessmen from both countries to promote ties and discuss investment opportunities in Sudan.

For his part, the German Ambassador stressed his country’s readiness to promote ties with Khartoum and pledged to facilitate the work of German businessmen in Sudan.