ADDIS ABABA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A negotiating team of the Oromo Democratic Front (ODF), an exiled Ethiopian opposition group, is set to arrive in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa Wednesday for further talks with the government, the Ethiopian government said Tuesday.
The announcement by the Ethiopian Government Communications Affairs Office (GCAO) followed a recent statement by ODF that its leading members will be returning to the East African country with the aim of kick-starting the process for more substantive talks.
The party is expected to undergo processes to register as a political party in Ethiopia if its discussions with the government reach positive conclusions, according to GCAO.
GCAO in its latest statement further revealed the Ethiopian government's ambition to negotiate with political parties that want to operate peacefully in the country's political landscape.
It has also commended the ODF for accepting the government's invitation for peace talks and its decision to operate peacefully.
The ODF was established in 2013 having broken away from the outlawed rebel group the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).
Revealing its talks with the Ethiopian government, the party indicated in a statement last week that "although much needs to be done, the ODF is encouraged by the government's recent positive steps toward reforms."
Negotiations between the Ethiopian government and ODF came shortly after the statement by the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed regarding widening up the political landscape.
Ahmed, during his swearing in ceremony last month, stressed his ambitions and readiness to engage with critics both at home and abroad.