South Sudan President Salva Kiir is hoping to meet Sudanese president Omer El Bashir on the sideline of an economic summit scheduled to be held in the Equatorial Guinea.
President Kiir, according to Mayiik Ayii Deng, minister in the office of the president, left Juba on Tuesday and will join rest of the leaders from around the world and in the region.
Mayiik explained that the Africa-Arab Summit is an annual event that brings together leaders from countries in Africa and in countries in the Arabs world to share views about their economic plans and how they should work together to promote economic activities for the benefits of their people.
“The going of the president of the republic is very important to the country because it will be an opportunity for him to meet with the leaders from the region, especially those with which we share direct borders. Like now, the presidents of Sudan and Kenya are among the leaders who are expected to attend. It will be an opportunity for president Salva Kiir to meet and hold sideline meetings with his counterparts to discuss bilateral matters and to also explain in person what the government has been doing with regards to the implementation of the peace agreement and what has been achieved so far. So it is a very important summit”, said Mayiik.
The minister was reacting to a question asking about the significance of the event to warrant the attendance of the president and how his presence would benefit the country. Mayiik also described relationships between Juba and Khartoum as “moving well”.
“Our relations with Sudan are strengthening and we want to improve, upgrade and enhance them even more. President Salva and president Bashir will hold high level discussions and I am sure the outcome will be in the interest of the two countries”, he said.
The official said the issues of security along the common border would be one of the issues the two leaders will discuss as being addressed.
” The issues of security are being addressed. Our troops have pulled back to allow full implementation of the 2012 cooperation agreement. If this agreement is fully implemented, it will enhance and facilitate free movement of the people and goods between the two countries”, explained Mayiik in an interview with radiotamazuj on Tuesday hours before Kiir left Juba.