The Myanmar military called on Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) signatories to further cement the agreement and non-signatories to join the pact, Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing said on Friday.

Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing, in his capacity as chairman of National Unity and Peacemaking Central Committee, sent the message on the sixth anniversary of the signing of the NCA.

The processes are being carried out for further strengthening the peace with NCA signatories and efforts are being made to mitigate the firing attacks and reach bilateral agreements with non-NCA signatories to sign the NCA, he said.

In the message, the ethnic armed organizations are urged to faithfully and firmly adhere to the NCA route to be able to contribute to holding a free and fair multiparty democratic general election as planned.

Meanwhile, the military has extended the suspension of military operations for five more months from October 1 this year to February 28 next year, in order to enable effective efforts to combat COVID-19 nationwide, and boost the peace process in the country.

So far, 10 ethnic armed groups have signed the NCA with the government since it was initiated in October 2015.

Myanmar declared a state of emergency after President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, along with other officials from the National League for Democracy (NLD), were detained by the military on February 1 this year.

The state power was transferred to Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing after the declaration of the state of emergency.