TEHRAN – The Foreign Ministry says Iran respects the southern Sudanese people’s choice, which resulted in the secession of South Sudan from the north.

In a statement released on Saturday on the secession of South Sudan, the Foreign Ministry said Iran has been closely monitoring developments in South Sudan over the past years with great attention.
The statement also said, “Now that this process has eventually led to the establishment of the independent Republic of South Sudan, Iran respects the choice of southern Sudanese people and is hopeful that recent developments will bring peace and stability to the region and prepare the ground for expansion of constructive cooperation between regional countries.”
On July 9, South Sudan declared its independence and on July 14 became the 193rd country recognized by the United Nations and the 54th UN member state in Africa.