The Government of the Republic of Sudan welcomed the decision of the US outgoing president Barack Obama to cancel economic sanctions imposed on the country. Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Official Spokesman said that the step constitutes a positive development for the course of Sudan-US bilateral relations, adding that the step is a natural offshoot of joint endeavors and longstanding and frank dialogue and vowing that Sudan will keep cooperation and with the US, until the removal of its name from the list of state-sponsored terrorism, in order to, fully, normalization of bilateral relations, to best serve the ultimate interests of the two countries. US sanctions on the Sudan has been imposed, in 1997, including commercial ban and freezing of Sudan's government assets, and was increased in 2006, on the backdrop of complicity to ignite violence, in Darfur.