Recently the parliament of Sudan unanimously ratified the treaty signed on January 9 by the head of the state and the leader of the unrecognized government of the self-proclaimed republic of southern Sudan. It should be mentioned that according to the signed document the southern part of the country can gain independence if the majority of the population vote for that in the referendum. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has issued a statement welcoming the decision of Sudan authorities which is based on the principle of recognizing the right of people to self-determination. "We hope that the treaty will open a new page of peace and prosperity in the history of Sudan" it is said in the document issued by the press service of Armenian foreign ministry.