The Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdouk told the research institution (Atlantic Council) expressed optimism about the US decision to remove Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

He revealed that he had been negotiating with the United States on legal cases against his country relating to acts related to terrorism.

Hamdouk's comments came on Thursday at the end of a historic visit to Washington, as he is the first Sudanese leader to visit the US capital since 1985.

"The big part of course was the question of withdrawing Sudan from the list of countries that support terrorism," Hamdouk told the conference, organized by the Atlantic Council's think tank after meeting senior officials from the State Department, the Treasury and Congress.

"This issue is hindering a lot of operations," he said, but talks started in recent months with the Americans "are progressing very well." "We reach a better understanding of this issue every time we talk together."

Hamdouk, a former British-educated diplomat, said the blacklist had an impact not only on investment but also on efforts to ease Sudan's debt and on the country's "greater openness".

Challenges and classification
The Prime Minister spoke about many challenges facing Sudan, including regional and international interference in its affairs, saying: One of the challenges is the large number of armed factions and the existence of parallel negotiating tracks. In addition to the conflict of interests and regional and international interference in our affairs, adding: But I think we will be able to overcome all this by staying one hand.

Washington still classifies Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism, which the new government says impedes foreign investment.

While sympathetic to Sudan's demands, US officials say removing the designation is a legal process.

The United States announced Wednesday that it will appoint an ambassador to Sudan for the first time in 23 years, during Hamdouk's visit to Washington.

Washington praised the steps taken by Hamdouk "to change the policies and practices of the former regime," which linked to Islamist groups and bloody crackdowns isolated Sudan in the west.

Relations between the United States and the Bashir regime, which came to power in 1989, have been strained over what is said to be an Islamic approach and hosted al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in his country for a while.