A broad agreement that includes restarting oil exports was signed Thursday by Sudan's President Omar Al Bashir and South Sudan's President Salva Kiir during a ceremony in Addis Ababa.
The two presidents also reached a deal on a demilitarized zone and principles of border demarcation -- although key issues around the contested region of Abyei and other border disputes remain to be resolved.
The signing ceremony, broadcast live on Sudanese state TV Thursday afternoon, followed several days of talks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The summit between Kiir and Al Bashir, which began Sunday, was supposed to last just one day to meet a deadline set by the African Union and U.N. Security Council.
Kiir said the agreement marked a great day for the two nations but called for a swift resolution to the question of Abyei's future, for the sake of its people.
Al Bashir also welcomed the deal, saying it reflected a "desire to achieve peace and stability and the mutual benefit" of the two nations.
The status of Abyei, claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, has been a matter of contention since the South declared independence on July 9 of last year.