WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday said Washington has now officially removed Sudan from a list of state sponsors of terrorism, adding that the move represented a fundamental change for the two countries' bilateral ties towards greater cooperation.

"This achievement was made possible by the efforts of Sudan's civilian-led transitional government to chart a bold new course away from the legacy of the Bashir regime and, in particular, to meet the statutory and policy criteria for rescission," Pompeo said in a statement.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Lisa Lambert; Editing by Catherine Evans) ((humeyra.pamuk@thomsonreuters.com; +1 202 3105694; Reuters Messaging: Twitter: @humeyra_pamuk))