By As the two countries enhance their diplomatic ties, South Sudan and Zimbabwe are negotiating oil and other bilateral trade deals, as reported by the Zimbabwean media.
In an interview with News Day at the end of a study tour of Zimbabwe’s immigration management by a delegation from his country, the Director of International Organizations at South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador John Andruga Duku on Thursday, confirmed the development.
“It is true we are working on a number of cooperation agreements with Zimbabwe. We need to develop our bilateral agreements and oil and other things will be part of that agreement,” said Andruga Duku.
“We hope,” the Foreign Affairs Director then added, “to arrive at a win-win situation for all of us and we need to do it sooner than later.”
South Sudan, is a country where oil revenue makeup to nearly 98 percent of the budget. The country is rich in oil reserves and is assisted by the Chinese to exploit the resource.
According to South Sudan’s oil minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, the country plans to increase daily crude oil production to 350,000 barrels per day this year. This will help in securing needed cash for its ailing economy.
“We are estimating by the end of the year, we will reach 200,000 barrels per day. We will make sure it reaches what it used to be,” the oil minister was reported saying on Monday last week.
Correspondent: Shamirah Abdallah