President Al-Bashir praised rebel leader John Garang, leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), in a speech on 6 October - the day negotiations aimed at securing a final permanent peace started in Kenya. 'We hail the response of the SPLA and its leader Garang, who was responsible for the success of the last round of [peace] talks,' Al-Bashir said at the opening of a new session of parliament in Khartoum. He also thanked the EU, UK and Kenya for their roles in helping to broker the agreement on security measures. Garang also spoke optimistically about the agreement on 6 October. 'I do not see any problem in implementing the security arrangements,' he told Doha-based satellite channel Al-Jazeera.