Sudan’s Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Ahmed expressed Khartoum’s preparedness to fully cooperate with the third phase of United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur’s exit strategy. He referred to the successful implementation of each of phases 1 and 2 of the UNAMID exit strategy in accordance with Security Council resolutions 2363 and 2429. The United Nations, donors and brotherly and friendly countries are "actively" participating in supporting stability and funding recovery, reconstruction, development and peacebuilding projects in Darfur during the transition period before UNAMID’s exit in 2020. Dirdeiry made his statements before the UN General Assembly when he also spoke about efforts to end the South Sudanese and the commitment of his country, in particular, to bring stability to the new country which was part of Sudan. He stressed that the Sudanese government is committed to its decision on upholding ceasefire agreements, and pointed out that Khartoum agreed to the UN delivering humanitarian aid to South Kordofan. He also praised the US administrations decision to lift the trade embargo off Sudan, hinting that he looked forward to his country being removed from the US list of countries that sponsor terrorism. Dirdeiry said the number of refugees hosted by his country exceeds three million, adding that his country "provides them with substantial assistance covering over 70 percent of their needs, with the international community providing less than 30 percent." He explained how the current situations place considerable strain on services provided by host communities, especially those undergoing harsh economic conditions. The UNSC was also asked to consider expanding the regional protection force in southern Sudan from 4,000 to 8,000 troops and involving Sudan, Uganda, Djibouti and Somalia in peacekeeping forces. UNAMID took over the peacekeeping task in Darfur from the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) on December 31, 2007. The UNAMID is considered the second biggest peacekeeping mission in the world, after the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.