KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan needs $ 8 billion in foreign aid over the next two years to cover its import bill and restore confidence in the currency, Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdouk said on Saturday.
Hamdouk said in televised statements that Sudan needs 1-2 billion dollars in foreign currency deposits in the next three months to stop the decline of the local currency.
"We have started talks with America to remove Sudan from the list of countries that support terrorism and with the IMF to discuss debt restructuring," he said.
The US government placed Sudan on its list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1993 because of the sponsorship of then-President Omar al-Bashir's government.
Sudan's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism renders it ineligible for debt relief, limits access to financing from lenders such as the IMF and the World Bank, and the graduation of the list is likely to open the door to foreign investment.
The US government suspended the debate on normalizing relations with Sudan in April after the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir.