Madrid - A privately-run conference focusing on the search for a consensus on shared principles to build a peace process in the Basque country opened in Bilbao yesterday with support from six Nobel peace laureates, including Mr John Hume, Ms Mairead Corrigan Maguire, and the Dalai Lama.
The Basque peace movement Elkarri won the support of more than 50,000 people to organise the meeting but Spain's ruling Popular Party rejected the initiative, arguing that it can only help Basque nationalists.