Myanmar, Jan 12 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The Myanmar government has penned a cease-fire agreement with the country’s rebels, giving hope that the 60-year-old war may be coming to an end. The conflict is one of the longest running in the world.

The Associated Press reported that the agreement was signed near the Thai border. The report states that the Myanmar government will free about 651 priosners as part of the deal with the Karen National Union. The group is the biggest arms group in the country and step is being hailed as a major step to the end of the conflict.

Myanmar recently moved to democracy after the military rulers organized the first democratic elections in decades. The new president Thein Sein is pushing to end the isolation of his nation. US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton recently visited the country in a bid to urge the country to abandon its nuclear program.

International Crisis Group’s Southeast Asia Project Director told reporters that, “This is an incredibly significant moment. It could be a tipping point and lead other major armed groups that have not yet signed ceasefires with the government to do so.”

There are more than 30 ethnic militant groups in Myanmar. The country has been under sanctions since 1988.