Washington, Muharram 2, 1437, Oct 15, 2015, SPA -- The United States commended all sides in Myanmar for efforts to end the longest running civil conflict in the world by signing the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). The deal between the government and eight ethnic armed groups “is a critical first step in a long process of building a sustainable and just peace in Burma,” the State Department said in a statement Thursday. “We recognize that some groups were not able to sign today, and we understand and respect their concerns. We welcome their commitment to continue discussion within their communities and with the government about the necessary conditions for signing at a future date, and we urge the government to engage constructively in a dialogue with these groups to pursue a more inclusive peace,” the department wrote. “Dialogue among all parties will be essential to ensuring continued progress toward national trust-building and lasting peace,” the statement said. --SPA 18:21 LOCAL TIME 15:21 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w