The Sudanese government welcomed Sunday the UN Security Council's resolution on Sudan.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail said the Sudanese cabinet "considered the resolution as a positive change in the Security Council's stance on the Sudanese conflict."

Ismail said that the cabinet listened to a report delivered by Sudanese First Vice President Ali Othman Taha on a recent special meeting of the Security Council in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

Ismail affirmed that the government would not give up its commitment to both the peace process in southern Sudan and the situation in Darfur.

"The government welcomed a memorandum signed with the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) on fulfilling the peace process in the south by the end of this year," said Ismail.

He added that the government has ordered all the ministries to prepare for the next stage of peace talks "as achieving peace in southern Sudan has become a commitment of the conflicting sides."

"The government appreciated efforts exerted by the Sudanese Foreign Ministry and its diplomatic missions over the world to bring peace to Sudan," he said, stressing "these efforts will be supported so as to fulfill the remaining part of the peace process in Sudan."

The UN Security Council held a special session on Nov. 18-19 in Nairobi and passed a resolution demanding the Sudanese government and the rebel SPLA finalize their peace talks by the end of this year.

(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2004)