Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir arrived in South Sudan on Friday, his first visit to the country since it broke away from Sudan following a referendum two years ago.
Bashir, who faces an international arrest warrant for war crimes, was received at the capital's Juba airport by South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, media reports said.
A military band played the national anthems of the two countries as the two leaders greeted each other.
Bashir's visit is expected to reduce tension between the two countries that started to build since South Sudan seceded from Sudan in July 2011.
South Sudan's Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin said Bashir's visit to the South would be good for the future of the two countries despite disputes persisted on several issues including the ownership of the Abyei border province.
The two countries had agreed last month to resume cross-border oil flows and take steps to defuse tension. Most of the oil-producing regions are in South Sudan while Sudan operates the pipelines carrying oil for export.
Bashir had planned to visit South Sudan a year ago but canceled the trip as fighting broke out along their border and almost flared into full-scale war.
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