KHARTOUM, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Sudan government on Friday welcomed the U.S. administration's decision to permanently lift the 20-year-old economic sanctions on Sudan.

"Sudanese leadership, government and people welcome the positive decision made by the U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday to permanently lift the economic sanctions on Sudan," said Sudan's Foreign Ministry in a statement.

"Sudan regards it as a positive development in the history of the Sudanese-U.S. relations and a natural outcome of a frank, transparent and constructive dialogue that reviewed all concerns between the two countries," it added.

The statement reiterated that Sudan would continue cooperation with the U.S. in all the issues of mutual concern, namely in relation to preserving international peace and security and combating all forms of terrorism, illegal immigration and human trafficking.

In the meantime, the Sudanese government urged the United States to remove Sudan from its list of countries sponsoring terrorism.

"Sudan is looking forward to building natural and progressive ties with the United States, but this necessitates removing Sudan's name from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism," said the statement.

It also called for cancellation of the negative procedures taken by U.S. institutions against Sudan, urging the U.S. administration to take positive measures that enable Sudan to make use of debts exemptions similar to cases of many countries with similar development situations.

The United States on Friday decided to lift its economic sanctions on Sudan permanently, citing Sudan's "sustained positive actions to maintain a cessation of hostilities in conflict areas in Sudan, improve humanitarian access throughout Sudan, and maintain cooperation with the United States on addressing regional conflicts and the threat of terrorism."

The U.S. Department of State announced that the decision would go into effect since Oct. 12, 2017.

The United States has been imposing sanctions on Sudan since 1997 and listing it one of the countries sponsoring terrorism.

Late July, the United States extended a review period of three months to decide whether to permanently lift trade sanctions on Sudan given its human rights records and other issues.

On Jan. 13, former U.S. President Barack Obama issued a decision to cancel two executive orders imposing economic sanctions on Sudan.

The executive orders gave 180 days for review before the sanctions are fully lifted to ensure the Sudanese government maintains its efforts on human rights and anti-terrorism.

The decision also allowed resumption of all banking transactions and trade exchange between the two countries.