Spain tells Eta to stop extortion

Mr Zapatero responded cautiously to Eta's declaration

Spain's prime minister and the Basque regional president have agreed that the armed Basque separatist group Eta must maintain a ceasefire and end extortion.

Eta declared a permanent ceasefire on 22 March. The group has been engaged in a violent campaign for Basque independence for more than 30 years.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero discussed the ceasefire with Basque leader Juan Jose Ibarretxe.

They said Eta must stop using extortion against businesses and politicians.

Mr Zapatero said multi-party talks on the political future of the Basque region could only begin once the Eta ceasefire was confirmed.

His deputy, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, said Eta's banned political wing Batasuna would be excluded from such talks.

"It is time to work for peace, the time for politics will come later," the AFP news agency quoted her as saying.

Mr Ibarretxe said he was keen to play an active role in talks to decide the Basque region's future.