In a significant move to push forward the peace process in Nagaland, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday met NSCN (IM) leaders T Muivah and Isak Swu and the two sides agreed to work for a peaceful and political settlement of the protracted Naga problem. During the 30-minute meeting at hotel new Otani in Osaka, the two sides reiterated that a negotiated, peaceful, political settlement remained their objective, official sources said.
It was also agreed that further talks between the Indian government and NSCN (IM) would take place shortly, the sources said without giving any timeframe or the venue of the talks.
The meeting, which took place on the second day of Vajpayee`s five-day visit to Japan, was also attended by national security adviser Brajesh Mishra and k Padmanabhaiah, Centre`s interlocutor for the Naga peace process. This is the second meeting between Vajpayee and the NSCN (IM) leadership, the first having taken place in Paris in 1998.
The ceasefire with NSCN (IM), enforced for over four years in Nagaland, was extended earlier this year till July 31, 2002.
Bureau Report