KHARTOUM, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese government on Thursday expressed appreciation of what it termed as "supportive U. S. stance" in the preparation of the country's general elections.

"We express our appreciation of the United States' keenness to help Sudan hold the elections on scheduled time, as well as the U. S. commitment to providing logistic support for the elections," Nafie Ali Nafie, assistant to the Sudanese president, told reporters following a meeting with U.S. special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration in Khartoum.

In the meantime, the Sudanese official praised what he considered as a "rational political stance" on the part of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in the preparation of the general elections.

He vowed to organize the referendum on self-determination for southern Sudan, saying "we are committed to organizing the referendum with the same transparency and keenness. We are fully ready to accept the referendum result."

The U.S. envoy on Thursday held a series of talks with the Sudanese government officials and leaders of a number of opposition political parties, with the focus on the opposition parties' stance regarding the general elections.