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10 January 2011
Last updated at 06:52 ET
The Basque separatist group Eta has announced a permanent ceasefire in its fight for independence from Spain.
In a video statement sent to the media, the group said the truce would be "internationally verifiable".
Eta's campaign for independence for the Basque region has cost more than 800 lives since 1968 but it called a halt to armed attacks last year.
The Spanish government has reacted cautiously to previous claims from from Eta that it was ending violence.
Eta said it was "time to act with historical responsibility".
It said it was declaring "a permanent and general ceasefire which will be verifiable by the international community".
"This is Eta's firm commitment towards a process to achieve a lasting resolution and towards an end to the armed confrontation," said the statement.
There was no reference to giving up its arms, a key demand of the government.
The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Madrid says the strong language in the statement goes further than Eta has before.
But Spain's socialist government has been wary of such claims since the last truce was broken by a bomb attack at Madrid's Barajas airport in December 2006, our correspondent adds.
In September last year, Eta announced an end to its armed offensive but the government said the move was too weak for negotiations to restart.
The government argues that the militant group has been seriously weakened by the arrest of most of its key leadership in recent years.
Are you in Spain? What is your reaction to the announcement? Is the ceasefire going to be permanent? Send us your views using the form below.
Webmaster Forum | SEO Forum | Coding Forum | Graphics Forum</b>
In a video statement sent to the media, the group said the truce would be "internationally verifiable".
Eta's campaign for independence for the Basque region has cost more than 800 lives since 1968 but it called a halt to armed attacks last year.
The Spanish government has reacted cautiously to previous claims from from Eta that it was ending violence.
Eta said it was "time to act with historical responsibility".
It said it was declaring "a permanent and general ceasefire which will be verifiable by the international community".
"This is Eta's firm commitment towards a process to achieve a lasting resolution and towards an end to the armed confrontation," said the statement.
There was no reference to giving up its arms, a key demand of the government.
The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Madrid says the strong language in the statement goes further than Eta has before.
But Spain's socialist government has been wary of such claims since the last truce was broken by a bomb attack at Madrid's Barajas airport in December 2006, our correspondent adds.
In September last year, Eta announced an end to its armed offensive but the government said the move was too weak for negotiations to restart.
The government argues that the militant group has been seriously weakened by the arrest of most of its key leadership in recent years.
Are you in Spain? What is your reaction to the announcement? Is the ceasefire going to be permanent? Send us your views using the form below.
Webmaster Forum | SEO Forum | Coding Forum | Graphics Forum</b>