Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir will hold a summit meeting with his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir in Addis Ababa this Friday.

 

It is reported that the summit, sponsored by Ethiopia, will press for enforcing a cooperation agreement signed by the two countries last year.

 

al-Bashir said he was ready to build ties with South Sudan.

 

"We are ready to establish good neighborly and cooperative relations besides implementing all the agreements signed in Addis Ababa and before to transform the borders between us and the Republic of South Sudan into regions that allow exchange and social connections."

 

Meanwhile, South Sudan decided to withdraw troops from the disputed border areas with Sudan.

 

President Salva Kiir says the move will pave the way for the demarcation of a joint demilitarized zone.

 

South Sudan split from Sudan in 2011 as part of a peace deal.

 

However, disputes over the oil-producing regions along the two country's borders almost erupted into a full-scale war last year.