ZIMBABWE'S President, Robert Mugabe, shook hands with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Monday when the two men, whose bitter struggle has divided the country for almost a decade, agreed to formal talks to resolve the political crisis.
Their meeting in a Harare hotel, mediated by the South African President, Thabo Mbeki, was their first for 10 years. It occurred in a jovial atmosphere, with the room at times rocking with laughter, in stark contrast to the fear that normally hangs over the country.
Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai signed a "memorandum of understanding", which opens negotiations between the ruling Zanu-PF party and the Movement for Democratic Change.
These talks started yesterday in Pretoria, the South African capital. The goal is to form an "inclusive government" within two weeks.
Mr Mugabe wants a "government of national unity", allowing him to stay on as president, with Mr Tsvangirai and other opposition figures included in the cabinet. But the Movement for Democratic Change wants a short-lived "transitional authority" paving the way for new elections.
Mr Mugabe is skilled at outmanoeuvring his opponents. Observers believe he could turn the exercise into a propaganda coup, with Mr Tsvangirai giving legitimacy to his regime and allowing it to end international isolation.
John Makumbe, a political commentator and Mugabe critic, said although the talks were important, the MDC risked "legitimising an illegitimate regime".
"Mugabe wants these negotiations to ease pressure on his regime, and they are going to wave these talks to tell the international community to get off their backs," he said.
More than 100 opposition supporters were killed during Zimbabwe's election campaign, which culminated in a "landslide victory" for Mr Mugabe after Mr Tsvangirai withdrew in the face of the violence.
Nonetheless, Mr Tsvangirai said: "This is a collective effort and it involves tolerance, compromise and putting the best interests of Zimbabwe at the forefront."
Mr Mugabe also said: "We sit here in order for us to chart a new way of political interaction."