Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir met with the Chief-of-Staff of Armed Forces in United Arab Emirates (UAE) Lieutenant General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi.

The meeting discussed bilateral relations and ways of boosting them, especially in military fields.

Lieutenant General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi (photo) concluded Tuesday a two-day visit to Khartoum where he met with the President Omer al-Bashir and his Defense Minister Awad Ibn Ouf.

He also met with General Imad El Din Mustafa Adawi, Chief of Sudan’s Joint Staff, and discussed with them ways to expand military co-operation.

During the visit, President Omer Hassan Al Bashir awarded the Al Neelain Order, first class, to the UAE’s Chief of Staff Lt. General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Romaithi, in recognition of his efforts to strengthen co-operation between the armed forces of the UAE and Sudan.

The decoration ceremony was held in Khartoum Wednesday, in the presence of Sudan’s Defense Minister General Awad Mohammed Ibn Aouf.

Lt. General Al Romaithi said he was happy to receive this honor and thanked the President of Sudan for conferring the Order on him.

Sudan and the UAE are part of a Saudi-led regional coalition fighting the Houthi militants in Yemen.

President Bashir recently announced that Khartoum is preparing to dispatch more troops to Saudi Arabia from where they will move to Yemen.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, received a telephone call from Rex Tillerson, the United States US Secretary of State.

The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince congratulated Tillerson on his appointment as Secretary of State and wished him success in his new assignments.

During the call, the two sides discussed ties of friendship and co-operation between the UAE and the US, and ways to enhance them to serve the interests of both countries, UAE National News Agency WAM reported.

They also talked about topics of mutual interest, latest regional developments, the efforts made by the international community to combat violence, extremism and terrorism, and the need to eradicate terrorist groups to ensure regional and global peace and security.