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Sudan's Foreign Minister Mariam al-Mahdi said during a visit to Moscow on Monday thatÌýlawmakersÌýin the African country wouldÌýconsiderÌýan agreement brokered by its ousted leader to establish aÌý¸é³Ü²õ²õ¾±²¹²ÔÌýnavalÌýbaseÌýthere.Ìý

¸é³Ü²õ²õ¾±²¹²ÔÌýPresident Vladimir Putin held talks withÌýSudan's former president in 2017 on establishing a navalÌýbaseÌýin, onÌýSudan's Red Sea coast.Ìý

But Bashir was overthrown in 2019, andcloserÌýto the United States.Ìý

No announcement was ever made by the Sudanese side but Russia said it had signed a 25-year agreement with Khartoum in December last year to build and operate theÌýbase.Ìý

Last month a top military official inÌýSudanÌýsaid the country was reviewingÌýthe document after some clauses were found to be "somewhat harmful".Ìý

During a press conference withÌýcounterpart Sergei Lavrov on Monday, Mahdi said the legislature will study the agreement.Ìý

"We now have a government that is accountable to a new legislative mechanism," she told reporters.Ìý

"The Sudanese legislature will discuss andÌýconsiderÌýthis document," Mahdi added.Ìý

Sudan's legislature has however not yet been set up.Ìý

Since August 2019,ÌýSudan has been led by a transitional administration that has sought to end the country's international isolation.Ìý

TheÌýbaseÌýdealÌýwas to allow Russia'sÌýnavyÌýto keep up to four ships at a time at theÌýbase, including nuclear-powered vessels as well as up to 300 military and civilian personnel.Ìý

LawmakersÌýwill ultimately evaluate whether the agreement is a "benefit toÌýSudanÌýitself and the strategic goals pursued by Russia andÌýSudan," Mahdi said.Ìý

For decades, the country was dependent militarily on Russia because of crippling sanctions imposed by Washington against the government of now-ousted president Bashir.Ìý

But the removed Khartoum from its blacklist last year.Ìý
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