(ST)

The African Union and the Arab League welcomed today the progress achieved by Chad and Sudan in order to ease tension and normalize bilateral relations.

Sudan said today the two countries agreed this week during a visit by the Chadian foreign minister to end hostilities as a security and military meeting will be held on January 7 in Ndjamena to discuss ways to control joint border.

"The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Jean Ping, welcomes the positive results arrived at by Chad and Sudan, following the meeting between delegations of the two countries, in Khartoum, Sudan, on 25 December 2009," said a statement released by the African Union.

Ping also encouraged the two countries to define as soon as possible the modalities of the deployment of the Monitoring Force on their common border.

In Cairo, the Arab League also welcomed the positive developments in the relations between the two neighboring countries.

The League expressed confidence that the joint meeting on security issues will contribute to overcome difference and reinforce the African and Arab efforts to resume Darfur peace talks in Doha.

Ping in his statement reiterates the AU readiness to support the efforts of the two countries aimed at building on what has been achieved so far and implementing the agreements they have reached.