The Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (I-M) on Thursday agreed to continue their negotiations until a "lasting settlement" to the decades-old Naga issue was arrived at.

A joint statement signed by the two sides at the conclusion of their three-day talks said "both must work to maintain a peaceful and violence-free environment till then."

The agreement to persist with the talks was reached after a 30-minute discussion between Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee and NSCN (IM) chairman Isak Chisi Swu and general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah, the Centre's emissary to the talks K Padmanabhaiah told reporters.

On the unification of Naga areas, the statement said "that in this regard the government representative clarified
that there is no change in its stand on the scope of negotiations."