MILAN, Italy - The British Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday welcomed the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) recent decision to disband, describing the move as “important” for the region’s peace and security.

The PKK on Monday published the results of its recent seminal congress, announcing that the group has decided to dissolve and disband, ending an insurgency that spanned over four decades, after months of negotiations.

“The decision by the PKK to disarm and disband is an important step towards peace and security for the people of Turkey and the wider region,” the diplomatic mission told The New Region, adding that the UK “continues to follow these developments closely.”

The British government has proscribed the PKK as a terrorist organization since 2001, deeming membership and expressing support for the group a criminal offense. The UK has repeatedly voiced support for the ongoing peace process in Turkey over the recent months.

“The UK remains committed to supporting efforts that reduce conflict and promote stability,” the embassy added.

A proposal in October by Devlet Bahceli, head of the far-right Turkish Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), to allow jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan to appear before the legislature and declare the dissolution of the PKK, set in motion the peace process which culminated in Monday’s historic declaration.

French diplomatic sources speaking to The New Region also welcomed the PKK self-dissolution.

“France hopes that the dissolution of the PKK will be effective and verifiable, that it will allow a definitive turning of the page on violence, and that it will lead to an inclusive political process based on democracy and the rule of law,” said the sources.

Long designated a terrorist organization by Ankara and its western allies, the PKK is an armed group that has fought for increased Kurdish rights in Turkey for decades, predominantly engaging in armed struggle with Turkish forces from the mountainous borders of the Kurdish Region, Iraq, and Syria.