Madrid (CNN) -- Spanish Interior Minister Antonio Camacho warned Friday that although the Basque separatist group ETA has declared an end to violence, the most difficult task still lies ahead -- ensuring no Spaniards suffer the threat of terror attacks in the future. His remarks come a day after ETA announced a "definitive cessation of its armed activity" in a statement published on the website of Gara, a newspaper the group has used to convey messages in the past. ETA is blamed for hundreds of deaths in its decades-long fight for an independent Basque state that it wants carved out of sections of northern Spain and southwestern France.
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Spain's interior minister says there is still work to do to prevent future terrorism
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ETA has announced a "definitive cessation of its armed activity"
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Listed as a terror group by the U.S. and European Union, it is blamed for hundreds of deaths
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It has been fighting for an independent Basque state in parts of Spain and France
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He paid tribute to the victims of @placeholder violence, adding: "We recognize the courage of the Spanish government and the Spanish people in their enduring efforts to advance democracy and freedom in Spain and around the world."
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ETA urged the Spanish and French governments to conduct "direct dialogue" aimed at addressing outstanding issues while calling upon fellow @placeholder to commit to such a process.