Brussels, 18/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - In a declaration issued on 11 March on behalf of the European Union, the Spanish Presidency welcomes the peace agreement signed on 12 February in Malino (southern Sulawesi) between the representatives of the Christian and Muslim communities of the Moluccas. The agreement recommends that an end be put to all violence in the archipelago. The EU welcomes the mediation of the gbovernment of Indonesia in the peace process, and hopes the agreement will be a major step forward towards restoring law and order in the Moluccas and reconciling the two communities. It also calls on the Indonesian government to take the measures necessary for countering the outside attempts at derailing the peace process under way in the province. It encourages the government to initiate rehabilitation and development activities in the area in order to obtain a broader public support for the peace process.