Zimbabwean opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said on Wednesday it was committed to negotiations with the ruling Zanu PF party to find a lasting solution to the challenges facing Zimbabwe.

Addressing a press conference in Harare on the just ended African Union summit held in Egypt, the MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai told journalists that talks were the only way forward to solve differences between the opposition and the ruling Zanu PF.

"The MDC is committed to a negotiated solution to the crisis that we are facing," he said, dismissing reports that there were talks currently taking place between the two parties.

"There are no talks taking place as far as we know," he said.

The opposition leader said there was no substitute for sitting down to map the way forward, taking examples from conflicts that had taken place on the African continent.

"Lessons are that at the end of the day, conflicts are resolved through negotiations. We are not dismissing the question of talks but we are saying it cannot just be dialogue for the sake of dialogue; it has to be principled dialogue to find a solution to the crisis," he said.

Tsvangirai lost to President Robert Mugabe in the presidential run-off election concluded on Sunday.

President Mugabe said last week the ruling Zanu PF was ready to meet with the opposition to chart the way forward to get Zimbabwe out of the challenges it was facing.

Mugabe has, however, said, "it must be a meeting of our minds and not a meeting of other people's minds through us."

Other players, including the Southern African Development Community and the African Union have also backed the proposed inter-party talks.

(Xinhua News Agency July 3, 2008)