News
Appeal to the Spanish and French governments to establish contact with ETA
The International Contact Group, promoted by the lawyer Brian Currin to "facilitate the achievement of political normalization in the Basque Country," met in May to evaluate the progress made in the peace process following the Aiete Declaration in October, in which ETA was urged to declare the cessation of violence.
The Group notes that there was a prompt response by ETA, in terms of a declaration of the cessation of violence, and adds that the International Verification Commission has reported on the continuity of this cessation. Given this scenario, the Group urges the Spanish and French governments to establish contact with ETA in order to deal with the consequences of the conflict, without going into political issues.
Regarding the need for dialogue among all the Basque political parties, the group admits that the present pre-electoral campaign in the Basque Country can pose obstacles in the way of progress, and states that the best time to move forward will be after the elections. In its press release, the Group also notes that the initiative taken by the Basque government to organize a meeting on Memory, and the plan for the reintegration of prisoners, are steps forward. However, the Group also expresses its concern with the delay in the resolution of the legalization of SORTU, since it considers that the peace process should include all the political actors.