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21/10/2011
Blair 'Ready To Help' After ETA Ceasefire
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has said he welcomes the "definitive" ceasefire by Spanish separatists ETA, saying he "stands ready to help".
The statement, released on Thursday, ended more than five decades of armed struggle by the group who had carried out a violent campaign to win independence for the Basque region from Spain.
Speaking in response to the announcement, Mr Blair, who is the current Middle East envoy for the United Nations, said: "I warmly welcome today's historic and unconditional statement by ETA ending more than 50 years of violence.
"On the basis of my experience in Northern Ireland I know how difficult it is to end a conflict, and I congratulate Prime Minister Zapatero, Alfredo Rubalcaba and all the Spanish political parties for standing firm and making it clear there would be no concessions until violence was over while always holding out the hand of peace to ETA if that happened."
Since 1968, ETA has been blamed for killing some 829 people, while over 700 of their members are currently in Spanish and French jails.
ETA were founded by a student group called Ekin in the early 1950s, opposed to the Franco regime and the failures of the Basque Nationalist Party.
Mr Blair added: "After the Spanish election a new government will take on the burden of dealing with the consequences of the conflict.
"Peace in Spain is crucial to all of us in the EU and the international community more generally and we must give Spain all the support we can in this endeavour. I stand ready to help personally in any way I can.
"The last armed confrontation in Europe is finally over. We should all welcome this and work together to make peace irreversible."
See: ETA 'Cessation' Welcomed In NI
(DW/BMcC)
The statement, released on Thursday, ended more than five decades of armed struggle by the group who had carried out a violent campaign to win independence for the Basque region from Spain.
Speaking in response to the announcement, Mr Blair, who is the current Middle East envoy for the United Nations, said: "I warmly welcome today's historic and unconditional statement by ETA ending more than 50 years of violence.
"On the basis of my experience in Northern Ireland I know how difficult it is to end a conflict, and I congratulate Prime Minister Zapatero, Alfredo Rubalcaba and all the Spanish political parties for standing firm and making it clear there would be no concessions until violence was over while always holding out the hand of peace to ETA if that happened."
Since 1968, ETA has been blamed for killing some 829 people, while over 700 of their members are currently in Spanish and French jails.
ETA were founded by a student group called Ekin in the early 1950s, opposed to the Franco regime and the failures of the Basque Nationalist Party.
Mr Blair added: "After the Spanish election a new government will take on the burden of dealing with the consequences of the conflict.
"Peace in Spain is crucial to all of us in the EU and the international community more generally and we must give Spain all the support we can in this endeavour. I stand ready to help personally in any way I can.
"The last armed confrontation in Europe is finally over. We should all welcome this and work together to make peace irreversible."
See: ETA 'Cessation' Welcomed In NI
(DW/BMcC)
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Northern Ireland WeatherThis Evening and Tonight:It will be cloudy with a spell of heavy rain pushing south through late evening and the early hours, soon followed by some clear spells. Minimum temperature 6 °C.
