The European Union (EU) has hailed the recent face-to-face meetings between President Salva Kiir and the leader of the SPLM-IO, Riek Machar, saying the talks are steps in the right direction.

Kiir and Machar concluded face-to-face meetings on Wednesday. The two leaders said they made significant progress in the meetings aimed at addressing issues related to crucial tasks such as security arrangements and the number of states and their boundaries.

The meeting between the two principles came as a 12 November deadline approaches to form a transitional government of national unity.

In a statement extended to Radio Tamazuj this morning, the EU delegation to South Sudan said trust between the political leaders is of the essence and it is important that they continue to meet regularly to resolutely take the peace process forward.

“While it is positive that the ceasefire continues to hold between the signatories to the agreement, two months before the end of the extended pre-transitional period, the pace and the quality of implementation need to urgently increase. This includes crucial tasks such as security arrangements and the number of states and their boundaries, in order to facilitate the formation of the transitional government in November,” the statement reads in part.

The EU delegation said it expects all parties to work in a spirit of goodwill and compromise. The European Union pledged to continue supporting the process of peace for the benefit of all South Sudanese people in coordination with regional and international partners.