Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr stressed on Sunday his country's keenness to calm the situation between Sudan and South Sudan and prevent the escalation of conflicts.

The Egyptian foreign minister, who arrived in Sudan's capital of Khartoum earlier Saturday, held a meeting with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, and listened to the viewpoints of Khartoum on the current dispute with South Sudan, especially after Juba's army took control of the strategic Heglig region on the border between the two countries.

Amr told reporters after the meeting that "our task today is to explore the role that can be played by Egypt in order to help solve the problem and defuse the tension and begin the process of peaceful dialogue between Sudan and South Sudan."

"I am here to listen to the viewpoints of the Sudanese leadership, and will find out the viewpoints of the Government of Southern Sudan, and then we will develop practical proposals aimed at bringing comprehensive peace between the two countries," Amr said.

The Egyptian official noted that his country's efforts did not come within the framework of African Union to mediate between Khartoum and Juba, "but complementary to it."

The Sudanese government welcomed any Egyptian initiative to defuse the tension between Sudan and South Sudan.

Salah Wansy, state minister at the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters: "We welcome any Egyptian role to achieve peace and stability, and we are confident that Egypt is taking actions from positive relations with Sudan, and its commitment to stability."

"We've given the Egyptian minister a detailed explanation of the latest developments, and efforts by Khartoum to make the relationship with the South natural and positive, although Juba has taken positions of hostilities and continued offensive against Sudan."

The Egyptian minister is expected to go to South Sudan's capital of Juba on Sunday for similar talks with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

On Tuesday, the Sudanese army accused South Sudan of carrying out a "brutal assault" on Heglig and occupied the region, which produces roughly half of Sudan's production of crude oil of 115, 000 barrels per day.

But the South Sudanese army has reportedly shut down oil wells after taking over the region.

However, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Thursday ruled out the possibility that Sudanese army would enter territories of South Sudan, pledging to settle the assaults inside Sudan.