The military and Karen National Union (KNU) hold a meeting in Kyaukkyi, Bago Region on December 27 and it will be the first time in over four years since the ethnic armed groups signed the NCA, announced the KNU.

An army negotiation team led by Maj-Gen Myo Win, Commander of Southern Command and a seven-member team from the KNU led by Brig-Gen Mann Sha Du Gaw held a meeting at the KNU liaison office in Kyaukkyi.

Although the army and ethnic armed groups made negotiations to hold commander level meetings to reduce the clashes in the areas where the ceasefire agreement is made, it has not happened in reality. Now the meeting is the first commander level meeting, said Pahdo Saw Tado Mu, General Secretary of the KNU.

He said the commander level meeting is very important to have a ceasefire and they will solve the disagreements based on the meeting.

The meeting is held after Tatmadaw negotiation team and KNU delegation met at Nay Pyi Taw on December 10, announced the KNU.

Both sides discussed the issues which are differed from the agreements in the NCA and they made negotiations to ease the tension to build roads in the areas where KNU No.3 Division and No.5 Division are based.

He added the KNU is hoping to cement a ceasefire agreement and to succeed the peace process.

The statement said both sides can test their desire to implement the success of NCA, to reach the level where mutual trust can build and to provide assistance for the peace process in the meeting.

The KNU will try to implement political dialogues in order to implement a democratic federal state with equal rights and fairness, as stated in the NCA.