South Sudan:  South Sudan calls for 'serious' talks with north

The newly independent nation of South Sudan wants "serious negotiations" with Sudan to fully normalize relations, President Salva Kiir said at the United Nations on Friday.



"South Sudan wishes to declare that it is willing and ready to continue serious negotiations with Khartoum," Kiir said in his presentation to the UN General Assembly.



"There are a number of outstanding issues," Kiir said. "We hope to expeditiously resolve them so as to ensure complete normalization of relations between the two states."



South Sudan formally proclaimed independence from the north on July 9, after decades of civil war that left the resource-rich country in ruins.



Outstanding border disputes risk prolonging the conflict between North and South Sudan, including in the embattled areas of Abyei, South Kordofan and the Blue Nile.



"We therefore urge the government of the Republic of Sudan to consent to the speedy demarcation of the border between the two states with the help of the international community," Kiir said.