Sudan and South Sudan Discuss Today Oil Production and Transportation Issues

Addis Ababa: Khartoum: Official spokesman of the Sudanese negotiations delegation in the Addis Ababa negotiations Dr. Mutrif Sidig announced that the two parties are going to engage today in direct negotiations under the supervision of the African Union's High Level Mediation Committee regarding the issues of producing, transporting, and exporting oil.
In a press release at the negotiations venue he said that since Tuesday the negotiations between the two parties have been under way regarding security issues; but the oil issues are going to be out on the negotiations table tomorrow Thursday.
Dr. Mutrif said that the delegation of South Sudan will present its view regarding oil and its suggestions regarding fees, services, etc. After that the Sudanese delegation will put forth questions around the suggestions of South Sudan on oil. Khartoum will then put forth its suggestions on the same issue; suggestions aiming at bridging the gap between what Sudan has suggested on this issue and what South Sudan has also suggested.
Dr. Mutrif Sidig hinted that the two parties are likely to reach an agreement on the issue provided South Sudan will raise its offer; a case in which Sudan can offer a concession on the deserved ceiling it put forth earlier.
He presented an explanation of the situation now in light of the measures Sudan took in the wake of the decision of South Sudan to stop exporting oil through Sudanese pipelines. He confirmed that the two parties are trying to reach satisfactory solutions to resume exporting through Sudan.
Dr. Mutrif confirmed the Sudanese government is willing to allow the exportation of oil through Sudan, and expressed his hope that the two parties will be able to reach an understanding on the security arrangements; ones that will safeguard the transportation of oil.
He affirmed that the details of every party's stance will unfold tomorrow at the beginning of the negotiations round and discussions. He the delegation of South Sudan has raised the ceiling of its offer though; more than it has originally out forth at the beginning of the negotiations. He said what South Sudan has suggested in the media is far from what the Sudanese side is aspiring for; but he also said that the negotiations process does not mean accepting only one thing and no other, it –on the other hand- depends on flexibility. He expressed his hope that the delegation of South Sudan will present an offer which is better than what it has offered before, an event in which the Sudanese delegation will be prepared to offer some concessions until an agreement is reached on this issue.
Dr. Mutrif said the two parties have agreed on handling issues as one package; discarding in the process the principle of selection to be able deal with issues as an integrated package with a overall perspective; hinting that the security arrangements are of strong relation to the economic arrangements and agreements that are going to be applied on the ground.
This came in the milieu of the press conference the head of the South Sudanese delegation Pagan Umum has held; a conference in which he announced his country suggests the fee of $9.10 per barrel for GNPOC oil and $7.26 per barrel for PETRODAR oil.
In the same context negotiations between the delegations of Sudan and SPLM-N are underway to discuss humanitarian issuesfor the second day in a row in Addis Ababa.
Official spokesman of the Sudanese negotiations delegation in the Addis Ababa negotiations Dr. Mutrif Sidig said that the negotiations between the two parties –ones on a different course- have started with discussing humanitarian issues between Sudan and SPLM-N and there are hopes that the parties will reach an agreement on this issue.
In a press conference he held at the margin of the negotiations with South Sudan; he said that the political course of the negotiations between the Sudanese government and SPLM-N is expected to be kicked off tomorrow Thursday in Addis Ababa.
He pointed out that these negotiations are controlled by the general framework devised by the African road map and resolution 2046 of the United Nations Security Council on the negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan and the other issues pertinent to realizing peace and settling the security status in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.