President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai have pledged to draw a line under Zimbabwe's months-long political crisis, as they agreed to sit down and resolve their differences.
The agreement starts the talks on a power-sharing arrangement should be completed within two weeks and calls for the prevention of violence.
At a ceremony in Harare overseen by long-time mediator South African President Thabo Mbeki, the two foes signed a joint agreement on a framework for talks and shook hands in their first meeting in a decade.
According to copy of the memorandum of understanding, the two sides have set themselves a two-week timeframe to wrap up the talks, which are expected to take place in both South Africa and Zimbabwe.
A source in Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change party says the talks would begin in earnest in South Africa tomorrow, although there was no immediate confirmation from the Mbeki camp.
Mr Tsvangirai has described his meeting with Mr Mugabe in ten years as historic and says the talks must succeed.
“We put our heads together, and sure we can find a solution – in fact not finding a solution is not an option.”
