Ahmadinejad, left, received a warm welcome from his Sudanese counterpart at Khartoum airport [AFP]

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has met his Sudanese counterpart in Khartoum after arriving on a two-day visit.

Ahmadinejad's visit is aimed at boosting political and economic ties between the two allies, Sudanese officials said.

Ahmadinejad received a warm welcome from Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir at Khartoum airport.

Iran, along with China, is one of the biggest supporters of al-Bashir, who faces indictment from the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged war crimes in the long-running Darfur conflict.

Shunned by the West, Sudan, which is facing an economic crisis after losing much of its oil wealth to newly-independent South Sudan, is keen to expand trade ties with Iran.

Most Western firms avoid Sudan due to a tough US trade embargo.

Sudan and Iran have also strong military ties after signing a co-operation agreement in 2008.

Al-Bashir has supported the Iranian nuclear programme which Washington says is to build nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.