UNITED NATIONS, April 12 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday welcomed the meeting of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir Mayardit, and urged the two leaders "to maintain this positive momentum."

"The secretary-general welcomes the meeting of the Presidents of Sudan and South Sudan in Juba today," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.

Ban "is encouraged by their constructive discussions on the implementation of the agreements they signed in Addis Ababa on 27 September 2012 and urges them to maintain this positive momentum," the statement said.

 

The two presidents on Friday, at a joint press conference in Juba, capital of South Sudan, described the settlement of the security issue as crucial for carrying out any cooperation between the two countries.

They vowed to implement the items of the security agreement, praising the steps made by the two sides to establish a demilitarized zone on their joint border.

"The secretary-general commends both presidents for their decision to continue their efforts to resolve the Abyei issue in accordance with the implementation matrix," the statement said. " He urges them to resolve their differences regarding the final settlement of Abyei."

The final status of Abyei, a disputed region straddling the border between Sudan and South Sudan, has yet to be determined. It is one of the outstanding issues of the so-called Comprehensive Peace Agreement which helped bring an end to the conflict between Sudan and South Sudan, before the latter's independence last year.

Previously, the secretary-general urged both parties to peacefully work towards resolving the matter, among other unresolved issues.

"The secretary-general also welcomes the resumption of oil production as an important sign of progress towards the normalization of relations between the two parties following the establishment of the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone and the operationalisation of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism," the statement added.

Last week, South Sudan restarted oil production, ending a bitter 15-month row with Sudan and marking a major breakthrough in relations with Sudan after bloody border clashes last year.

South Sudan took with it nearly three quarters of the oil wealth when it seceded from the north in July 2011, but remains dependent on Sudanese infrastructure to pump its oil to export markets.

The resumption of oil production marks the first stage in the implementation of a wider cooperation agreement signed by both countries in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

South Sudan halted oil production last January following a dispute with Sudan over transportation fees. In an increasingly bitter argument, the South also accused Sudan of diverting its oil for the latter's own profit.

Both countries have suffered a severe economic downturn as a result of the loss of oil revenues, with South Sudan depending on oil for 98 percent of its revenue.