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During a general plenary session of the Basque Parliament held in Vitoria-Gasteiz on Thursday, President Patxi López made a speech in which he put forward his proposal for a "harmony pact" for the Basque community.

During his discourse, the lehendakari said his "certainty" that the Basque community was "putting a permanent end to the cycle of terror" was the reason for his decision to propose Thursday's pact.

Patxi López admitted that "citizen harmony" cannot be created "by decree", believing that the "will of everybody to put an end to the cycle of terrorism and unite the Basque community, overcoming internal divisions, and agreeing the basis for renewed coexistence" to be essential.

López's proposal would be based on 10 keys points, he explained. The first stresses the importance of "Euskadi as a plural society in its political manoeuvres and diverse in its citizenry. As such, we recognize, respect and guarantee the freedom of different identities as a constituent element of Basque society." Another of the fundamental points of the President's proposal is tolerance "towards other points of view".

With regard to the victims of terrorism, López emphasized the importance of telling a "true account of what has occurred," because that forms the "public face of commemoration". He promised public recognition for "the victims of terrorism and their pain by offering them a public area worthy of them."

López also recalled that "the only path" towards coexistence is via the democratic system. As such, he said the definitive end of ETA "continues to be an inalienable objective. We all demand, publically and emphatically, that ETA give up all terrorist activity and disband without further consideration or conditions."

The lehendakari also called on Basque prisoners to "publicly and decidedly break with ETA." Furthermore, he also proposed "consensual, dynamic and flexible orientation of penitential policy in a way that best promotes the end of the terrorist cycle," aimed at reinsertion (of prisoners) and which would contemplate, among other matters, "gradually bringing convicts closer to home."

He believes the announcement recently made by Basque prisoners that they would adhere to the Gernika Agreementwas "good news" because "it could represent a further step towards the end of ETA" and as such, he called on prisoners to "recover their voice and make further steps to speed up a definitive end to terrorism."