Sudan and South Sudan Thursday signed joint defence and military cooperation agreement between the two countries.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the visiting South Sudanese Defence Minister Angelina Teny and her Sudanese counterpart Ibrahim Yassin, according to a statement issued by the Military Media Centre in Khartoum.

The defence and military cooperation deal includes “training, exchange of experiences, peace promotion, support and disaster management, as well as combating cross-border crimes, smuggling, human trafficking and combating the activities of anti-peace elements”.

The agreement also, determined the implementation mechanisms at the levels of defence ministers, chiefs of staff and experts, according to the statement.

After years of a difficult separation and accusations of support to rebel groups from both sides, the two Sudans are moving towards a new era of rapprochement and cooperation in all fields.

Sudanese officials in Khartoum say such environment will allow also to settle the situation in the disputed Abyei and resolve the different disputes preventing to achieve the demarcation of the over 2000 km border.

In a recent meeting to discuss Sudan South Sudan relations, the UN Security Council hailed the improvement in bilateral relations between the two countries.

The two countries have agreed to open 10 border crossing pints, cooperate actively in the oil production.

President Salva Kiir many times repeated he wanted to broker a deal to end the armed conflicts in Sudan because this will help to bring stability in his country.