Kohima: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio will call on NSCN-IM (National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Issac Muivah) leaders Issac Chisi Swu and Th Muivah in New Delhi today (Dec 7, 2004) to discuss the progress of the on-going Naga peace talks.

He will be the first Chief Minister from the State to meet the two top NSCN-IM leaders though many overground Naga political leaders had met Naga underground top brass leaders on earlier occasions abroad.

NSCN-IM chairman Swu and its general secretary Muivah had arrived in Delhi from Amsterdam on Sunday night to hold talks with the Central leaders to carry forward the peace process for a solution to the decades-old Naga political conflict.

They are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the day.

Before leaving for the national capital, Rio told newsmen at Dimapur that the visit of the NSCN-IM top leadership to Delhi was 'another positive step' in the on-going dialogue. He would on behalf of the State Government and the people convey goodwill and support to them for their efforts to hammer out a solution to the vexed Naga issue.

Lauding NSCN-IM's statement that Swu and Muivah wanted to meet cross sections of the people in Nagaland during their visit next week, he said, "The situation is very conducive to meet the people in the State and I am meeting them (Issac and Muivah) in my capacity as a political leader."