国际英语新闻：Sudan explores economic impact of south independence: official

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese government has explored ways in dealing with the economic impact of south Sudan's secession, Sudan's permanent representative to the Arab League said here Sunday in preparation for an upcoming Arab economic summit.

"Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir is going to attend the summit and make a speech explaining the current situation of Sudan and its future development," Abdul-Rahman Siral-Khatim, who is also Sudanese ambassador to Egypt, told Xinhua on the sideline of a preparatory meeting for the second Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit slated on Wednesday in Egypt's Red Sea resort Sharm el-Sheikh.

The South Sudan ended a weeklong independence referendum on Saturday, a vote believed to split the largest African country.

Abdul-Rahman acknowledged that various evidence after the referendum shows that splitting between the North and South Sudan is ultimately inevitable, stressing it will pose serious impact on Sudan's economic development, given a large part of the natural resources, including oil, are on the South's side.

In order to compensate such economic losses, the Sudanese government is conducting some joint economic research with the south, Abdul-Rahman added.

Although the South chooses independence, it will not affect Sudan's role in the Arab economic summit, said Abdul-Rahman, adding the North and South will keep normal exchanges in various fields of economic and social affairs as before.

The second Arab economic summit will follow up the implementation of resolutions taken at the first summit in Kuwait in 2009 and crystallizing mechanisms for overall development and economic integration.