South Sudanese president to visit Sudan

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir is set to visit neighboring Sudan next week to hold talks with his Sudanese counterpart Omar Bashir on ways of enhancing bilateral ties between the two countries, a presidential spokesman said Saturday.

Ateny Wek Ateny said the South Sudanese leaders' visit to Khartoum on Tuesday seeks to revive implementation of the nine cooperation agreements the two countries signed in 2012 for oil transit fees, border demarcation, trade, security among others.

Ateny added that improved cooperation between the two Sudans would be key in restoring lasting peace and stability in both countries.

"Restoring ties between the two countries has a lot of benefits because they are historically connected and they have a lot of common things that they can do together," Ateny told Xinhua by phone.

Since South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011, the two neighbors have had frosty relations over undemarcated borders, a brewing row over the disputed oil-rich Abyei region claimed by both nation and an alleged support to rebel groups fighting Juba and Khartoum respectively.

In May, Sudanese president Omar Bashir accused South Sudan and Egypt of supporting rebels in the troubled region of Darfour. Both countries denied the accusations.

Source: Xinhua