STOCKHOLM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Sweden's government announced hereon Tuesday that it is prepared to raise its level of support to Sudan over the coming years in order to live up to the needs of the country.

    The Swedish support is intended to contribute to the implementation of the different parts of the peace agreement in Sudan, with a particular focus on the growth of democracy and women's participation, Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson said in a statement.

    Sweden will also continue with humanitarian operations in Darfur, Carlsson said in connection with a donors' meeting on Sudan under the leadership of the United Nations and the World Bank, currently underway in Oslo.

    The Minister did not disclose how much development assistance Sweden is prepared to increase to Sudan.

    Since 2005, Sweden has provided 980 million kronor (about 160 million U.S. dollars) in support of humanitarian operations and reconstruction in Sudan via multilateral institutions and organizations, according to the Swedish Foreign Ministry.