MADRID - The  Basque terrorist group ETA announced today that it "has decided to announce the termination of their armed activities," according to a statement posted on the online edition of the Basque newspaper Gara.

The group called on the governments of Spain and France "to open a direct dialogue process" designed to resolve "the consequences of conflict," according to a report in the Spanish newspaper El Pais. 

This announcement comes three days after a peace conference in San Sebastian, in which the international community demanded that the group adopt a final decision and that the governments of Spain and France open up negotiations with the terrorist group. 

Although there have been previous announcements of a cease-fire, ETA defined this one as "permanent", "general" and "internationally verifiable."  On September 5, 2010, the terrorist group, which has long had ties to Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez and other terrorist groups in Latin America,  had announced the cessation of "offensive military actions", as reported by the Spanish RTVE website.