The third all party conference  called by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba ended Friday ahead of the second round talks with Maoists to end a communist insurgency that has claimed more than 1,800 lives in nearly six years.

The date and venue of the talks have yet to be fixed after the first round of preliminary talks with the rebels in the capital a fortnight ago.

The political parties represented in parliament authorized the government to start peace negotiations with insurgents without compromising on constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy as Maoists have called for a republic in the Himalayan state.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka Friday reiterated government’s commitment to assurances in the first round of talks with Maoists and said strong measures will be taken if Maoists do not stop acts of violence and extortion by abusing a temporary truce announced by

both sides.

Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry in a statement Friday asked Maoists to stop calls on soldiers of the Royal Nepal Army and other security personnel to desert or face punitive action while talks were on-going to bring peace in the country.

The statement asked the general public to report such rebel threats to the nearest army barrack.

Senior police officials met in the capital Thursday to review the security situation ahead of a mass meeting by Maoists in the capital Friday as some predicted violence.