Sudan's minister of petroleum and gas Mohammed Zaid Awad said his ministry is committed to president Omar al-Bashir's directives to review South Sudan's oil transit fees.

In a press release after a meeting with the head of PETRONAS oil company in Khartoum, Awad pointed out that stability in South Sudan will help in developing the relationship with the two countries, saying many issues with the two counties are governed by agreements signed by both sides.

The minister said Sudan is ready to cooperate with all partners and international companies in oil industry who helped extract oil in Sudan.

South Sudan currently pays about 25 US dollars per barrel to transport its oil through northern pipelines. However, Juba has pushed Khartoum to reduce this fee owing to the drop in worldwide oil prices to under $50 a barrel.