Talks proposed to end Basque violence

Anti-ETA demonstrators protest against violence

The Basque regional president in Spain, Jose Antonio Ardanza, has proposed all-party talks to end more than 30 years of violence over the status of the Basque region.

Mr Ardanza's proposals, published by the El Mundo and El Pais newspapers, call for dialogue to begin "unconditionally, and without restriction on its conclusions".

The plan urges the Spanish Government to respect the result of the proposed talks even if they resulted in favouring Basque independence.

Ceasefire suggested

Mr Ardanza, whose Basque Nationalist Party supports a non-violent route to independence, has also suggested an indefinite ceasefire by the Basque separatist organisation, ETA.

Representatives of Herri Batasuna (HB), the political wing of the ETA, agreed to study the plan "seriously and in depth" at a forthcoming meeting.

The BBC Madrid correspondent said there had been a cautious reaction by the government to the proposals.

Armed struggle

Spain's centre-right government has in the past refused talks unless ETA ends its armed struggle.

According to observers, the fact that the the plan has not been rejected outright may be a sign that it is reconsidering this position.

The peace plan was submitted to Basque legislators and is due to be debated next week at a meeting of the region's political parties in which the HB will not be included.