Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told Sunday's El Mundo newspaper that the day when Basque separatists ETA announced their ceasefire was his best moment as a government leader.

"It was the best moment by a long way," he said. "All of us felt happy, because a new era was beginning... the Spanish society knows that they have been looking for the best opportunity for 30 years to see an end to the violence."

He said that all of Spain was hoping for things to turn out well for the government and wanted to see all political parties help the government in general and especially the Interior Ministry, where Alfredo Rubalcaba took office on Tuesday.

Zapatero said the new minister had two very important qualifications for the post: he had long worked in anti-terrorist field and he had a good relationship with all of the country's political parties.

The ETA declared their ceasefire on March 22, and it came into effect on March 24.

Speaking of the investigations into the March 11, 2004 attacks on Madrid, Zapatero said that "it is our job to give the investigating judge the support and guarantees he requires."

Investigating judge Juan del Olmo said on Tuesday he had authorized the trial of 29 people.

The 2004 attack on Madrid trains at rush hour killed 191 people and injured more than 1,500. A Spanish parliamentary commission has established that the attacks were carried out by radical Islamic militants.

Source: Xinhua