Spain: Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has welcomed yesterday's announcement of a permanent ceasefire by Eta.
Mr Adams confirmed that his party had been in dialogue with all of the Basque political parties, particularly Batasuna, which is linked to Eta, and said he has also written to the Spanish Prime Minister. José Luis Zapatero to commend "a conflict resolution process".
Referring to the conflict in the Basque region of Spain and to Sri Lanka, Mr Adams said: "Sinn Féin's objective has been to promote conflict resolution and to assist in whatever way we can the development of a peace process."
"Eta's announcement provides all sides to the conflict with an opportunity of historic proportions," he said. "Today's announcement gives a considerable boost to the development of a conflict resolution process."
He continued: "It is incumbent on all sides to the conflict to grasp this opportunity, and to do everything possible to make political progress a reality. Sinn Féin believes that the key to progress is an inclusive process of dialogue in which all of the participants are treated on the basis of equality.
"There should be no predetermined outcome. All possibilities must be on the agenda for discussion."
There was now a "particular onus and responsibility on the Spanish government" to respond positively and creatively, he said.
"The Spanish government should immediately intervene to stop the political trials against Batasuna leaders, including Arnaldo Otegi."
Mr Adams criticised what he called the Spanish policy of prisoner dispersal across the country when resulted in prisoners being held long distances from their families.
Redemptorist priest the Rev Alec Reid, who was a key intermediary at the time of the IRA ceasefire and who also worked in the Basque region seeking to help end the conflict, welcomed the ceasefire. He said Eta would have taken "a lot of courage and a lot of inspiration from the Irish peace process" in reaching its decision.
Speaking from Bilbao, Spain, yesterday he said he was asked a number of years ago by a local priest to talk to the protagonists. including Eta.
"I told them all that the fundamental moral principle is the dignity of the human person, that the only way to settle this type of conflict is through dialogue ... The lesson of Ireland is that if you follow the dynamic of dialogue you will solve any of these conflicts," Fr Reid said on BBC Radio Ulster yesterday.