A ceasefire announced by Basque separatist organization ETA came into effect on Friday, winning applause in Spain and throughout Europe.

The truce, declared on Wednesday, came into force at midnight on Thursday (2300 GMT), ushering in hopes that ETA might end its decades-long violent campaign for independence for the Basque region of northern Spain and southwest France.

In its statement, ETA announced a "permanent" end to violence for the first time and called on all sections of Basque society "to act with courage ... moving from words to action."

The Spanish Government on Thursday welcomed the ETA truce pledge, but said it would not hold talks with the separatist organization unless the latter made good its ceasefire promise.

Speaking for Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, communications minister Fernando Moraleda said that dialogue would only be possible when there was "a definitive and permanent" cessation of violence.

Jose Blanco, general secretary of the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers Party, said that once the ruling party was convinced that the ceasefire pledge had been made in good faith, the government would seek measures to ensure a permanent end to violence.

He said the ETA ceasefire announcement was a positive sign, but Spain needed proof that it was part of an irreversible process that would end terrorism in the nation.

On Thursday UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed the ETA decision.

"The secretary-general welcomes the permanent ceasefire declared yesterday by ETA. He urges that this commitment be honoured, thus ending the violence which has caused so much suffering over so many years," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

European Union (EU) leaders, meeting in Brussels for their spring summit, on Thursday welcomed the ETA ceasefire, but stopped short of saying it would consider removing the group from the EU's terrorist blacklist.

"We regard this as a very positive sign," said Austrian chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, whose country holds the six-months EU rotating presidency.

Schuessel said leaders would discuss the issue and would be briefed by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero during their two-day summit.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the ceasefire had brought a "moment of hope," and said the EU's executive arm would closely monitor the developments.

ETA has been fighting for an independent state in northern Spain and southwest France. More than 800 people have died since 1968 in its separatist drive.

As Spaniards enjoyed their first day of permanent ceasefire, a poll on Friday showed most wanted the government to explore peace talks and conservatives expressing wariness of political concessions.

A survey released on Friday said most Spaniards wanted the government to open talks with ETA after the ceasefire came into effect.

Over 80 per cent of those questioned said Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's government should open dialogue with ETA in order to achieve a definitive end to the violence, according to the Opina poll released by the private Cadena Ser radio station.

Forty-seven per cent of those polled said the ceasefire would mark "the beginning of the end of terrorist violence," while 34 per cent said the ceasefire was a "trick" by ETA.

(China Daily 03/25/2006 page7)