The minister of mining and petroleum says Sudan and South Sudan have agreed to extend the Cooperation Agreements the two countries signed in 2012.

The move comes after a two-day talks between a delegation from the South Sudan government and Sudanese officials in Khartoum.

The cooperation agreements are specifically on oil, border issues, citizenship, and the division of debts and assets.

They were supposed to last three and a half years since 2012. Petroleum Minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth says the deals were to end in November this year.

He says the talks in Khartoum mainly focused on reviewing the costs South Sudan has been incurring in terms of oil transit fees to Sudan.

“We have agreed to extend the agreement between the two countries. The details will be worked out by the technical team, because one of the concerns we’ve been having is the Transitional Financial Arrangements, the transportation fee, the processing fee, and the transit fee,” the minister stated.

“These fees need to be revisited for the oil.

Mr Gatkuoth was addressing the media last evening at the Juba International Airport on arrival from Khartoum.

He said Sudan has also agreed to allow supplies, mainly construction materials to cross to the Paloch and Tharjath oil fields.

Mr. Gatkotuh said this would speed up operations in the two fields.