Kathmandu: Maoist rebels and government ministers are all set to resume the much-delayed third round of talks in the border town of Nepalgunj on August 17 in a bid to end the seven-year insurgency in the Himalayan kingdom.

A two-member government talks team comprising Finance Minister Prakash Chandra Lohani and Information and Communication Minister Kamal Thapa will meet with the two-member Maoist team including Baburam Bhattarai and Krishna Bahadur Mahara at the Sneha Hotel in Nepalgunj.

"The talks are going to be a milestone towards establishing peace in the country and we hope it will put an end to the conflict," Thapa said ahead of the talks, adding, "we are not going to achieve peace in just one day... it will take time."

Chief Maoist negotiator Bhattarai said, "It is going to be a long session but we will continue the discussions."

The town seemed all set to host the talks with banners and wall paintings calling for success of the peace talks dotting different parts of the city.

"The government will present its political concept paper and views regarding the Maoists' political agenda during today's talks," Thapa said.

The basis of government's political agenda will be Constitutional monarchy and multi-party Democracy, said a source in the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.

The government's concept paper will include reforms in the present electoral system such as representation of ethnic community and Scheduled Castes in the Upper House, election on the basis of proportionate representation.

PTI