CAIRO — As part of efforts to bolster peace between Sudan and South Sudan, the two governments last month signed a series of agreements on resuming trade and increasing cooperation in transportation and security.

The signing came during a three-day visit by Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok to Juba on Aug. 21, during which he met with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and other officials. Hamdok led a delegation including the ministers of defense, trade, transportation and foreign affairs, in addition to a number of senior officials from Khartoum.

Prior to the South Sudanese secession in 2011, many basic commodities used to be transported from the northern to the southern parts of the same country. Sudanese economist Mohamed al-Nayer told Al-Monitor the situation is different now. Had the two countries started trade exchange immediately after the secession 10 years ago, significant economic growth would have been achieved in the two countries if also based on sound foundations, he said, expecting the volume of trade exchange between the two countries to exceed $2 billion per year.

Nayer said the next steps include opening branches of Sudanese banks on the borderline and in areas between the two countries to ensure the revenues from the imports and exports are included in the trade balance between the two countries.