The Union government and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (I-M) on Thursday decided to extend the ceasefire in Nagaland by a year beyond July 31.

"We had very good but tough discussions. Both sides have agreed to extend the ceasefire by another year," Centre's emissary K Padmanabhaiah told PTI after three days of talks with NSCN (I-M) General Secretary T Muivah and eight other senior members of the outfit in Bangkok.

Padmanabhaiah, along with Intelligence Bureau chief K P Singh, had left New Delhi for the Thai capital earlier this week to carry out discussions with the NCSN (I-M) leadership on the issue of extension of ceasefire, which first came into into force in 1997.

Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani told reporters on Wednesday that no special status has been given as
yet to Naga Hoho, the apex tribal body of Nagas, as part of the ongoing Naga peace process.

During their visit to Delhi in January this year after a gap of over thirty years, the Naga leaders had agreed to continue talks with the Centre till a 'lasting settlement' to the decades-old Naga issue was reached.