South Sudan's chief negotiator has met with Sudanese officials for talks on security and economic concerns.
Pagan Amum described Sunday's meeting with Sudan's Defense Minister Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein and senior official Nafie Alie Nafie as successful, but gave no further details on the specifics of the talks.
Sudan and South Sudan signed a deal in September to resolve a dispute over fees the South pays Khartoum to export its crude through pipelines, refineries, and a port in the north. But the agreement has not taken effect with the two sides disagreeing on how to withdraw troops from the disputed border region.
Sudan and South Sudan went to the brink of war in April after the south occupied a northern oilfield. Relations between the two countries have been mostly rocky since the South declared independence last year.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.