06/01/2006 (Agence Europe) - In a declaration on 5 January, the Austrian Presidency, on behalf of the EU, deeply regretted the decision of Nepalese Maoists to end their unilateral ceasefire. The Presidency recalled that the EU had been encouraged by the ceasefire and the agreement reached with the seven party political alliance and said it was deeply disappointed by the failure of the Government of Nepal to respond to this strong desire for peace by announcing a truce. It insisted on the need for national dialogue to resolve the underlying causes of the conflict peacefully, and reminded all parties to the conflict of the importance of human rights and the need to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law (see EUROPE 9102 on 12 million euro of aid from the Commission to Nepal to help restore democracy).