Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan receives Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Khartoum on Thursday. AFP

It was the first by an Israeli official formally acknowledged by Sudan, although there have been a series of exchanges between officials from the two countries in recent years.

"It has been agreed to move forward towards the normalisation of relations between the two countries," the Sudanese foreign ministry said in a statement.

Cohen and Sudan's sovereign council head General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan discussed deepening cooperation between the two countries in security and military matters, as well as in agriculture, energy, health, water and education, Burhan's office said in a statement.

Agencies