Russia recognizes the new Sudanese authorities and is maintaining contact with them, Russian special presidential envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov, said on Tuesday. Asked if this was the case, Bogdanov, the deputy foreign minister, said “Yes, of course,” TASS reported. Sudan’s military ousted the country’s leader Omar al-Bashir on April 11 after months of protests. The parliament was dissolved, and the constitution was suspended. An interim military council was formed to oversee the transitional period for the next two years.