New York  - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed Monday the agreement between Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to hold talks on sharing power and ending the political crisis in that country.

"The secretary general encourages 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," UN spokeswoman Michelle Montas said.

Montas said Ban commended efforts by South African President Thabo Mbeki and his team to facilitate the signing of the agreement in Harare, providing the framework for the formal talks between the two sides. (dpa)