Milosevic rebuffs mediator

BELGRADE PARIS, Feb 19: Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic today refused to meet Chief US mediator Christopher Hill who arrived here i...

BELGRADE PARIS, Feb 19: Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic today refused to meet Chief US mediator Christopher Hill who arrived here in a bid to get him to accept a Kosovo peace deal before the deadline. 8220;We know that Milosevic did not want to see him, but it is not final. We are still waiting,8221; a US diplomatic source said. AWashington report said the White House warned Milosevic it would be a serious mistake8217; for him to walk away from the peace talks, saying it would lead to NATO air strikes.

And as military and diplomatic pressure mounted on Serbia to accept NATO troops in the trouble-torn Kosovo, western embassy staff started leaving Belgrade in preparation for air strikes by NATO if the Serbs and ethnic Albanians fail to reach a deal by noon tomorrow.

8220;It seems thing are moving a bit. But there is only a little time left, 8220;French foreign minister Hubert Vedrine told a news conference here last night at Rambouillet, 50 kms from here. The Kosovo peace talks initiated by the big power contactgroup, consisting of the US, Russia, Britain, France, Italy and Germany, entered the 13th day today to find solution to the Kosovo crisis.

The Yugoslav premier had yesterday bluntly said no to NATO forces in the southern Serbian province dominated by ethnic Albanians. The contact group insists that around 28,000 NATO troops will be present in Kosovo to keep warring parties at bay.

While Western powers are raring to go, Russia stoutly opposed the move. A Yeltsin on the diplomatic upswing, 8220;I gave Clinton my opinion in a letter and by telephone, that military action against Belgrade won8217;t pass. We will not let Kosovo be touched,8221; Yeltsin said in the Kremlin8217;s grandiose Yekaterina hall.

In contrast was US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: 8220;He Milosevic should understand that if air strikes occur, he will be hit hard and he will be deprived of the things he values.8221;. She also spoke with the Yugoslav President and described the military build-up by the western powers.

Officials involved in thetalks said a high-level delegation including Albright, British foreign secretary, and the French foreign minister would leave for Belgrade tomorrow to make a final push reiterating the threat of strikes NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana said the air strikes are imminent if no deal is struck by tomorrow. 8220;