Future military-to-military engagements between the two forces were also on the agenda. "We are exploring possibilities and opportunities with Sudan, militarily and diplomatically. We see increased engagement in the months and years ahead,” Mr Young added. A visit by Gen Al Burhan to Stuttgart, and the establishment of a US naval presence on the Red Sea in Sudan are among the ideas being considered, Cameron Hudson, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and former chief of staff for the US special envoy to Sudan, told The National. In December, Sudan signed a naval port agreement with Russia. Mr Hudson argued that the “US should be both embarrassed and anxious to establish its own strategic linkages to Sudan,” following Russia’s naval expansion.