MOSCOW, April 12. /TASS/. Sudan’s Ambassador Nadir Babiker assured Russian diplomats during their meeting at the Foreign Ministry that the change of regime in Khartoum will not affect cooperation with Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

Babiker held talks with Russian Presidential Special Representative for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov, who is also a deputy foreign minister.

"The talks focused on recent developments on Sudan," the foreign ministry said. "The Sudanese ambassador pointed out that the change of power in Khartoum will have no impact on the foreign policy of Sudan, which firmly pursues a goal of strengthening a friendship and mutually beneficial, multifaceted cooperation with Russia."

Meanwhile, the Russian diplomats reaffirmed "the universal principle of non-interference in the domestic affairs of sovereign states."

The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed the hope that the situation in Sudan would soon stabilize in order to ensure security and a sustainable socioeconomic growth of Sudanese society.

Spokesman for Russia’s embassy in Khartoum Vladimir Tomsky told TASS by phone the situation in Sudan’s capital remains calm and has not deteriorated in the past 24 hours.

"It is calm in the streets and the situation has not worsened in the past day. Fewer people are protesting outside the Defense Ministry, while the ministry’s premises are heavily guarded by the troops," the diplomat said.

In the meantime, according to him, patrols around the city have not increased in number.

"It is calm around the Russian embassy. We have not reinforced the security. We are working as usual," he continued.

Tomsky pointed out that the Russian diplomatic mission was maintaining contacts with the Sudanese authorities.

"We stay in touch with the country’s Foreign Ministry. There is no vacuum in communication with the authorities," he concluded.

On April 11, Sudan’s military ousted President Omar al-Bashir, who rose to power in a military coup in 1989. Mass protests over major price hikes have continued unabated since December 2018. The army disbanded the parliament, suspended the constitution and formed a military council for the transitional period spanning two years. According to Sudan’s Defense Minister Lieutenant General Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, a three-month state of emergency was declared in the country.