Sudans central bank announced Wednesday that the United States had informed Khartoum it was lifting sanctions on 157 Sudanese firms, in line with a policy shift by Washington in late 2017. Central bank governor Badreddine Abdelrahim said in a statement that "only a few Sudanese individuals and entities remain under US sanctions for their links to the conflict in Darfur.” According to Abdelrahim, the lifting of the sanctions means that the firms concerned -- including banking institutions -- can now undertake international transactions. The US announced an end to its 20-year-old trade embargo against Sudan in October 2017, but retained the country on its state sponsors of terrorism list. Also Wednesday, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok met with Italy’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Emanuela Del Re. Hamdok and Del Re, who is visiting Khartoum, discussed the removal of Sudan from the terrorism list. The PM said Sudan was keen on consolidating cooperation with Italy, while Del Re described Sudan as a "very important country,” saying “its stability leads to stability in the region.” She expressed willingness to remove Sudan from the terror list and stressed continued support for the country’s development. “We look forward for fruitful relations in the coming period,” Del Re added.