A Mon ethnic armed group, the New Mon State Party (NMSP), initiated a preliminary peace agreement with Myanmar's government at state level Wednesday, official sources said.

The five-point agreement was signed in Mawlamyine, the capital of the Mon state in southern Myanmar, by peace-making groups of the two sides.

The agreement mainly covers ceasefire, formation of peace- making groups for talks at central level and coordination of date and venue for further talks, opening of liaison offices, allowing negotiated transgression and arms carrying apart from mutually- agreed areas and settlement of NMSP members at mutually-agreed areas.

The NMSP once returned to the government's legal fold in 1995 but was among the five peace groups which rejected to be transformed into government's border guard forces.

Up to now, eight ethnic armed groups including the present NMSP out of 11 have reached peace pacts with the government at respective levels. The other six are the United Wa State Army ( UWSA) in Shan State (North) Special Region-2, the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) in Mongla Special Region-4, Koloh Htoo Baw armed group in Kayin state, Chin National Front (CNF) in northwestern Chin state, the Restoration Council of Shan State ( RCSS) of Shan State ASrmy (SSA)-South, Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP) of SSA-North and Kayin National Union (KNU) in Kayin state.

Meanwhile, peace talks between Myanmar's central government and Kachin ethnic armed group -- Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) were underway in Ruili, southwest China's border town in Yunnan Province, for two times over the past two months with no agreement reaching yet.

However, peace-making groups of the two sides issued similar statements on Jan. 19, saying that the peace talks will continue through political means to realize the eternal peace and to decline military acceleration.

The two sides will coordinate matters related to military units of both sides in the hot spots to control military activities and building trust, the statements added.

President U Thein Sein made a peace offer to armed groups in the country on Aug. 18, 2011, calling on anti-government ethnic armed groups to come for peace talks through region or state level governments to end internal armed insurrection and build internal peace in the country.

Under the president's peace offer, peace making is being carried out in three phases -- the first phase is to ceasefire, set up liaison offices and travel without holding arms to each other's territory, while the second phase is confidence building, holding political dialogue, implement regional development tasks in terms of education, health and communication, and the third phase is to sign agreement for eternal peace in the presence of the parliament represented by nationalities, political parties and different walks of life.