Juba/Khartoum — The government of South Sudan said on Tuesday that it hopes the outcome of the security meeting, which brings together senior military officials from Khartoum and Juba as well as experts from the region, would produce tangible results.

The Undersecretary at the Ministry of Defense, General Bior Ajang Duot, said that the overall objective of the meeting is to promote dialogue on potential collaboration and defuse any destabilizing points of tension between the two countries.

Duot said there is "no relationship more important" than the one with Sudan because actions taken by either side have a significant impact on the region.

"We are being watched closely by the whole world. They want to know what we are doing and this is why our leadership believes strongly in peaceful coexistence. We believe in peaceful dialogue as a way to resolve dispute", Duot told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday.

Both countries, he believed, contribute greatly to global stability and development.

"If we get it right, so will the world," the South Sudanese General said.

Duot, however, acknowledged that mistrust and suspicion still persist between the two ex-foes.

"While there exist many deep-seated strategic differences between our two countries, it is crucial that we work together to resolve these differences and not create new ones," he appealed.

South Sudan seceded from Sudan in July 2011 under a peace deal which ended more than two decades of civil war, but both are now at loggerheads over rebel support which has crippled implementation of several other accords signed last year.

The Sudanese government constantly accuses Juba of backing rebels of the Sudan People Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) fighting Khartoum in the border regions of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Juba denies this charge and in turn claims that Khartoum is supporting rebel groups in Jonglei.

Last month relations between the two nations was dealt a fresh setback when Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir ordered the closure of pipelines carrying oil from landlocked South Sudan. This came only a few months after resuming oil exports which were suspended for over a year following disagreements over transit fees.

Bashir signaled that his government is fed up with Juba's continued backing of rebels in the wake of series of attacks by Sudanese insurgents on government positions in north and south Kordofan.

The African Union (AU) and China managed to convince Bashir to give more time before implementing his oil shutdown decision to allow committees to investigate allegations of rebel support.

The AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) warned that such support if proven will stand to be "in clear violation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Non-Aggression and Cooperation, signed by the two countries on 10 February 2012".

"Council stresses the urgent necessity for the two countries to summon the necessary political will to overcome the current difficulties and establish two viable States, at peace with one another and cooperating together on issues of common interest," AUPSC said in a statement released today.

Eyes now are all set on Juba where meetings with Sudanese officials are focused on the harboring of rebels.

Duot called on the leaders and people of both countries to approach this relationship with vision and maturity. He asserted that he knows president Salva Kiir and Bashir "fare well" together due to their extensive interactions and commitment to addressing the outstanding issues.

Although Duot recognized that disagreements are inevitable, he felt that mutually agreeable solutions can be found more easily if both parties act in a manner that is "straightforward, clear, and predictable with one another."

He also argued that regular meetings between high-level officials in Juba and Khartoum helps foster trust.

"Holding such meetings between our countries is crucial for building personal trust and confidence. We have to know what each other is doing," said Duot, summarizing the agenda of this dialogue and future exchanges between the nations.

Meanwhile, South Sudan's Deputy Director of Military Intelligence Major General Mac Paul said that the security meeting with Khartoum has been "progressing fairly well".

"The discussions have been progressing fairly well since we begun. The first item on the agenda started with how to handle accusations and counter accusations. The last item which is still being discussed revolves around reaching consensus to activate buffer zone and establishing centerline in the demilitarized zone", said Paul in a statement to the state owned South Sudan Television (SSTV).

In Khartoum, Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) deputy chairman for party's affairs, Nafie Ali Nafie disclosed that negotiations with Juba are underway to arrive at an agreement which will assure that South Sudan army severs any and all ties with Sudan People Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N).

Nafie emphasized in press statements on Tuesday that SPLM-N is nothing but a satellite group for the governing party in South Sudan.

He claimed that SPLM-N are using civilians as human shields in war zones in order to obtain humanitarian aid for its army and called on the international community to press the rebel group to stop this practice.

Nafie noted that people in government-controlled areas continue to receive humanitarian aid.

Khartoum rejects all proposals to extend humanitarian aid to rebel controlled areas in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, stressing that a political agreement on the two border states should come prior to any humanitarian deal.

He further pointed to the recent political developments in South Sudan and concluded that Juba has now decided to improve its relations with Khartoum, predicting that the recent changes within the government ranks there would strengthen relations and help implement the cooperation agreements signed between the two countries.

"We seek to establish strong, sustainable, and cooperative relations with South Sudan", Nafie said.

Last week, South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, issued a decree dismissing all ministers and deputy ministers, as well as Vice-President Riek Machar.

In a separate topic, Nafie scoffed at statements made by the SPLM-N secretary general, Yasser Arman, in which he spoke about the imminent demise of the regime, citing a famous Arabic poem to belittle it and promise the longevity of the regime.

He refused to acknowledge that the "Liberation Ticket" campaign launched by the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) reflects the official stand of the NUP, saying that it only represents the stand of NUP's leading figure and daughter of the party's head, Mariam Al-Sadiq al-Mahdi.

Last month, the NUP announced its "Liberation Ticket" initiative to change the regime through collecting a million signatures and organizing sit-ins in public squares and other places.