Myanmar President Opens Unprecedented Talks With Aung Suu Kyi, Army

Myanmar President Thein Sein opened unprecedented talks with army top brass and political rivals including Aung San Suu Kyi in the capital Naypyidaw Friday ahead of crucial elections next year.

Thein Sein and Suu Kyi walked into the meeting together to begin talks that are the first of their kind in the country as it moves to emerge from decades of outright military rule.

The talks come a day after the White House said US President Barack Obama spoke to both Thein Sein and Suu Kyi about the upcoming polls, less than a fortnight before the US leader visits Myanmar.

Obama called for "inclusive and credible" elections during telephone talks with Thein Sein, said the White House in a statement.

Last week Myanmar election authorities announced the country's landmark elections would be held in the last week of October or the first week of November 2015.

Obama also spoke with Suu Kyi about how Washington can "support efforts to promote tolerance, respect for diversity, and a more inclusive political environment", the White House said.

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The talks in Myanmar on Friday come as the fast-changing nation grapples with thorny political and constitutional questions and the search for a nationwide ceasefire to several rebellions.