Spain's government on Wednesday welcomed a declaration of a permanent ceasefire by the armed Basque separatist organisation ETA.

"This is good news for all Spaniards," said First Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega. She said "the government will work with all political forces" to achieve peace.

ETA said it would declare a permanent ceasefire from Friday in a statement carried by the Basque newspaper Gara on Wednesday.

"The aim of the ceasefire is to promote a democratic process in the Basque country and to build a new framework in which our rights as a people will be recognized," the group said.

"ETA also calls on the Spanish and French authorities to respond positively to this new situation, leaving their repressive ways behind," it added.

ETA, which wants to establish an independent state out of northern Spain and southwestern France, has killed 850 people since 1968 in its separatist drive. The United States and the European Union have listed it as a terrorist group.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has stressed for months a willingness to hold dialogue with Basque radicals, which have refrained from major attacks since May, 2003.

A permanent end to violence was a prerequisite for talks, said the president.

Source: Xinhua