Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has said his government was prepared to start peace talks with Basque separatist guerrillas ETA.
"I want to announce to you that the government is going to start negotiations with ETA," Zapatero, a socialist, told a news conference in Spain's parliament building in Madrid.
He gave no details of where or when talks would take place but said Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba would update other political parties on the progress of talks in September.
ETA announced a permanent ceasefire in March after 38 years of armed struggle for independence for the Basque Country, a conflict that has killed about 850 people. Most Basques do not want to be independent, polls say.
Mr Zapatero's announcement came against fierce resistance from the conservative Popular Party (PP).
The PP leader Mariano Rajoy broke off support for negotiations earlier in June when Socialist officials announced plans to meet members of Batasuna - a political party banned because of links to ETA.
