UNITED NATIONS, July 21 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed the joint pledge by Zimbabwean parties to start formal talks to end their election dispute.

    "The secretary-general welcomes the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the parties in Zimbabwe, which provides a framework for formal talks to end the political crisis in the country," said a statement issued by Ban's press office.

    Ban commended South African President Thabo Mbeki and his mediation team for "facilitating the signing of this agreement."

    He reiterated the UN's commitment to supporting these mediation efforts and urged "all sides to engage, in good faith, in serious talks that would lead to a lasting solution to the political crisis and address the urgent economic and humanitarian needs of the Zimbabwean people."

    The secretary-general also urged the "enabling of humanitarian operations in order to allow the provision of assistance to those in dire need."

    Earlier Monday in Harare, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai signed an agreement on a framework for fully-fledged talks to end the crisis in the country.