SOCHI, November 23. /TASS/. Sudan has reached agreement with the Russian Defense Ministry on assistance in upgrading its armed forces, President Omar al-Bashir said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday.

"We’ve had a very good meeting with the Russian defense minister. We are launching a vast program for re-equipping our armed forces. We’ve agreed with the Russian Defense Minister Russia will provide assistance. We would like to increase the presence of military attaches," al-Bashir said.

Sudan finds the situation in the Red Sea worrisome, he remarked.

"We believe that US interference in these affairs is also a problem. We would like to discuss this issue from the standpoint of using bases in the Red Sea," al-Bashir said.

Sudan is grateful to Russia for the stance it takes in world affairs.

"We can underline the great coincidence of positions on most issues," al-Bashir said. He criticized the United States for interference in the internal affairs of other countries, adding that US intervention was to blame for Sudan’s split into two states.

"As a result we need protection from aggressive actions by the United States. We believe that what is happening in Syria now is an effect of US interference. As a result Syria has seen a catastrophe. We believe that the country would have been lost but for Russia’s role. In that connection we seek cooperation with Russia in various spheres," al-Bashir said.

In particular, he added, his country was interested in military-technical cooperation with Russia, because the military hardware currently at Sudan’s disposal was of Russian manufacture.

Nuclear cooperation

Sudan is interested in developing economic interaction with Russia and is ready to discuss projects in exploration and peaceful use of nuclear energy, President Omar al-Bashir said.

"We want to discuss issues of Russian companies’ work, including in the sphere of geology. Furthermore, we would like to discuss matters related to peaceful use of nuclear energy and development of national electric power supplies. We have capabilities and interest to develop such cooperation," the President of Sudan said.

Sudan is also interested in developing contacts with the Russian business in oil production, agriculture, and in the railways sphere, he said.

Sudan is ready to help Russia in developing relations with African nations, Omar al-Bashir said. "We can say that Sudan can be such a key for Russia [for development of Russia’s relations with African countries]," he noted.

The President of Sudan stated interest of his country in developing relations with BRICS.