KHARTOUM, December 3. /TASS/. Russia and Sudan have concrete plans to step up military technical cooperation that will not upset the balance of power in the region and will be in full compliance with the countries’ international obligations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday after meeting with his Sudanese counterpart Ahmed Karti.

The Russian minister said he hoped results of the next meeting of the Russian-Sudanese intergovernmental commission that will be held in Moscow next week would be as effective as in the past year.

After the previous meeting last year, the trade turnover between the two countries increased fourfold. “We hope results of the next meeting will be as effective as these,” Lavrov said.

The Sudanese minister said they had discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral relations, including cooperation in the oil and banking sectors. “We are glad to welcome Russian companies in Sudan,” he said.

He also said he expected the dialogue to continue during the next intergovernmental commission meeting in Moscow next week.