Six people have been killed and 58 others have been injured in three separate bomb explosions in northern Kosovo. The attacks came as European Foreign Ministers, meeting in Germany, agreed that the new round of Kosovo peace talks due to begin in Paris on Monday should be wound up by Thursday at the latest.
The bombs exploded in two towns. In Podujevo, two powerful explosive devices planted in dustbins went off within a half-hour period. In Kosovska Mitrovica, a bomb exploded in a market. There was no immediate indication who was behind them. Earlier there were a number of clashes between the Kosovo Liberation Army and Serb security forces close to the border with Albania. The local KLA commander said the current fighting had gone into its 20th day and he blamed the Serb side for wanting to derail the peace talks.
The latest violence comes as moves to secure a permanent peace agreement in Kosovo gather pace. A 15-strong ethnic Albanian talks delegation left for France today to resume talks with the Serbs on the future of Kosovo. The talks will recommence on Monday in Paris. The delegation includes four representatives of the Albanian guerrilla force, the Kosovo Liberation Army. There are increasing signs that the KLA may be prepared to sign the interim deal that was agreed under international pressure last month. However, it has been reported that several Albanians in the delegation may be facing arrest in Serbia on murder charges.
Today, the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata called for a settlement. She said that the suffering of thousands of civilians in Kosovo could not be allowed to continue.
Earlier, Yugoslavia's President, Slobodan Milosevic, again rejected plans for the deployment of a NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo. In a statement issued in Belgrade, Mr Milosevic said there could be no military element to any peace agreement for the province. The United States and its European allies regard the deployment of NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo as a vital part of any plan for a settlement in Kosovo. However, despite his opposition to such a force, Mr Milosevic has promised to send a delegation to Paris for the resumption of peace talks on Monday.
It was announced today that European Foreign Ministers had agreed the talks must be completed by next Thursday at the latest. The German diplomat who made the announcement said the political and military implementation of an accord are closely linked. EU Foreign Ministers were meeting at the central town of Eltville in Germany to assess the prospects for an accord.
