This afternoon Vice President Biden met the Chairperson of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel for Sudan and South Sudan and former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki at the White House. Joining the Vice President was United States Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Donald Booth. The Vice President thanked President Mbeki for his leadership and that of the African Union in supporting the implementation of the agreements between Sudan and South Sudan. The two leaders agreed on the importance of continued progress, including towards the full resumption of trade across borders, and resolving the final status of Abyei. The Vice President emphasized that African Union leadership will be vital to help bring the conflicts in Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan, and Darfur to a peaceful end, and to promoting inclusive governance and full respect for human rights in both countries. The Vice President reaffirmed the Administration’s commitment to a durable and lasting peace between and within Sudan and South Sudan.