ALGIERS, Algeria (PANA) - Italy' junior foreign minister, Rino Serri, who is also the European Union's special representative for the horn of Africa, has commended Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika for managing to convince Ethiopia and Eritrea to resume their indirect negotiations.
According to the Algerian national news agency, Serri was referring to the shuttle diplomacy the OAU chairman made last week between Addis Ababa and Asmara.

He described the new round of indirect talks between the two belligerents as an "important step" on the path to the settlement of the conflict.

"Within three or four days, we will at least be able to reach a cease-fire and keep on the negotiations based on the fairest and most useful procedures and in accordance with the schedule of the Algiers negotiations," he said.

Serri is monitoring the talks, which opened Tuesday, as well as Anthony Lake, US President Bill Clinton's special envoy, who had taken part in several mediation efforts to end the Eritrea-Ethiopia border war.

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