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1st LD: Union peace conference begins in Myanmar

Xinhua, January 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

A union peace conference kicked off in Myanmar's capital here Tuesday, ahead of the first round of national-level formal political dialogue between the government and eight ethnic armed groups.

The conference, which will last for five days until Saturday, was opened by President U Thein Sein.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, U Thein Sein said the conference is the biggest gathering of political forces in the country in over six decades after independence in 1948.

Since his government took office in 2011, various efforts have been made to bring the armed conflicts that have persisted since the country's independence to an end, the president said.

The peace process plays an important part in the political transition, and the peace conference is also part of the power transfer process following the Nov. 8 general election in 2015.

The conference, which will focus on five main topics, is expected to contribute to confidence building among political forces, he added. Endit