Zoellick To Travel to the Sudan, Jordan and Egypt

Deputy Secretary Zoellick To Travel to the Sudan, Jordan and Egypt

Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick will travel this week to Sudan, Jordan and Egypt. In his third trip to the region in twelve weeks, Deputy Secretary Zoellick will continue to articulate key aspects of President Bush’s agenda, including a peaceful transition of government and end to conflict in Sudan, reconstruction and democratic development in Iraq, and promotion of free and fair elections in Egypt.

While in Sudan, the Deputy Secretary will join Sudanese and other African leaders and dignitaries in marking the historic establishment of Sudan’s Government of National Unity and interim constitution under the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) that came into force on January 9, 2005. The CPA, which was negotiated with the assistance of the United States through the leadership of Ambassador Jack Danforth, ended the 21 year long civil war between North and South Sudan. In Khartoum, Zoellick will meet with Sudanese leaders from the North and South, African leaders, and UN officials. In addition, the Deputy Secretary will make his third trip to Darfur to assess the humanitarian and security situation by meeting with local leaders, representatives of the NGO community and aid workers, and the African Union’s security forces. He will also meet with some of the internally displaced persons.

In Jordan, Deputy Secretary Zoellick will head a U.S. government delegation to the United States - Iraq Joint Commission on Reconstruction and Economic Development. The Deputy Secretary will discuss strategy and next steps with his Iraqi counterparts on a number of issues ranging from economic and agriculture reform to the continued development of the oil and electricity sectors in Iraq. The Deputy Secretary will also hold bilateral meetings with Jordanian officials to discuss their reform efforts.

In Egypt, the Deputy Secretary will have a series of meetings with President Mubarak and Egyptian leadership, as well as political opposition leaders, to discuss political and economic reforms, transparency in governance, and progress on the Middle East peace process.

Source: state.gov 2005/675, Released on July 5, 2005 Press Statement Sean McCormack, Washington, DC, July 5, 2005

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