BRUSSELS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana extended here on Friday his welcome to the signing in Abujaof the long-awaited peace agreement on Darfur, urging those who have not signed to reconsider their positions.

    "This is most certainly a major development for Darfur, for Sudan and for the entire African continent," said Solana in a written statement.

    Solana appealed to all the parties present in Abuja to implement this agreement immediately and in full and to" do so resolutely and sincerely. "

    "The violence in Darfur must stop. Security must now be restored so that the displaced persons and refugees can return home," he added.

    He also appealed to those who have not signed in Abuja to reconsider their positions, for the sake of the peace process.

    "The European Union welcomes the action of the African Union both in Abuja, with the mediation of Mr Salim Ahmed Salim, and in the field, in Darfur," he said.

    "The European Union's support to the African Union will not waver over the coming months, which will be fundamental to the implementation of the peace agreement and therefore to the return to stability," he added. Enditem