Kathmandu: Two days after Nepalese Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa invited the Maoists for the third round of talks, the rebels have sent a letter to the government, saying they were ready to sit for dialogue provided their pre-conditions, including release of imprisoned rebels and restriction of troop movement are fulfilled.

The government has received a letter from the Maoists in response to a letter it had sent to them last week urging a third round of talks, Information and Communication Minister and spokesman of the government's dialogue team Kamal Thapa said.

He, however, did not elaborate what pre-conditions the Maoists had included in the letter.

The government will make its stand public after thoroughly studying the content of the letter received from the Maoists, he was quoted as saying by Radio Nepal.

However, informed sources said the major pre-conditions laid down by the Maoists, include releasing the Maoists from jail, restricting Army movement outside their barracks and guaranteeing full security to the members of the talks team.

The Maoists' reply came a week after Communication Minister Kamal Thapa wrote a letter to the Maoist chief negotiator Baburam Bhattarai asking him to resume dialogue.

The peace talks were stalled following conclusion of the second round of talks held between the government and the Maoists in Kathmandu on May 9.

During the second round of talks the Maoists and the government representatives differed over the issue of restricting army movement, which caused delay in the talks.

PTI