Reports from Belgrade say the Yugoslav President, Slobodan Milosevic, has bluntly refused to allow an international military force to help implement the latest political settlement in Kosovo.
They follow talks between Mr. Milosevic and the Chairman of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Norway's Foreign Minister, Knut Vollebaek. Mr. Vollebaek is the first high-level Western official to meet the Yugoslav President since the end of the first round of peace talks.
The United States envoy to Kosovo, Christopher Hill, was expected to meet ethnic Albanian leaders in the regional capital, Pristina, today. The move forms part of international efforts to gather support for the interim peace agreement.
Fighting is continuing in Kosovo and the ethnic Albanians say that this is making it impossible for them to consult their supporters about the accord.
