The European Union has been asked to monitor a future peace agreement in Indonesia's troubled Aceh province.
Representatives of the rebel movement in Aceh reached a tentative agreement with government negotiators over the weekend in Finland. The agreement is aimed at ending 30 years of civil war in which 15,000 people have been killed.
EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana said the union is preparing to send 200 observers to Aceh, after it was asked to become involved in the peace accord by the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
'We have received from the two sides an offer to monitor the peace process that was initialled yesterday and we hope will be finalised in the middle of the month of August,' said Mr Solana today.
As part of the peace agreement the GAM is to disarm and is giving up its demand for full independence. The Indonesian government says it will withdraw its troops from Aceh when the rebels hand over their weapons.
The peope of Aceh have reacted cautiously to the deal.
