ST. PETERSBURG, June 7. /TASS/. Russia is interested in an early end to the conflict in Sudan and would like to bring the efforts of external players together to resolve it, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with Sudanese Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council Malik Agar on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"We expect that during our conversation you will share the latest assessments of what is happening in your country. We are very interested in ending the conflict as soon as possible and returning to a nationwide dialogue aimed at all kinds of cooperation," Lavrov said.

"A year ago, you and I met in Moscow, the situation was different then. In any case, now there are some influential external players who are not working unanimously. We would like to bring their efforts to a common denominator so as not to create temptation for some or other internal Sudanese forces to continue the conflict," the Russian minister added.

Agar thanked the minister and said he was happy to be in touch with him. "We came here as we realize the importance of these contacts. We are interested in strengthening our longstanding friendly relations with Russia," he said.

The SPIEF

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is held on June 5-8. This year’s theme is "The Formation of New Areas of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World." Scheduled events include meetings for small and medium-sized businesses, creative industries, the SPIEF Youth Day, as well as the Drug Security, SPIEF Academy and SPIEF Junior forums. SPIEF is organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the information partner of the event.