KHARTOUM, Sudan, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- The Sudanese government in Khartoum could look to Russia for help with its energy infrastructure in a post-referendum era, a special envoy said.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir met with Russian Special Envoy to Sudan Mikhail Margelov to discuss economic ties between the countries.
"We discussed a whole range of economic issues, including Sudan's readiness to sign a contract with Russia on the construction of a railway linking Port Sudan and West Darfur's capital El Geneina, as well as contracts to build power plants in the country," Margelov was quoted by Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti as saying.
South Sudan becomes the world's newest nation when it formally gains independence in July. Nearly all of the voters in a January referendum voted in favor of the measure, though details concerning oil and border demarcations loom over the issue.
South Sudan, which gets the bulk of its revenue from oil, takes control of about 75 percent of all oil production in the country when it gains independence in July. Oil moves via pipeline from the south to Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
