NATO move deferred

RAMBOUILLET, Feb 20: US and European powers gave negotiators at the Kosovo peace conference here on Saturday another three days to reach ...

RAMBOUILLET, Feb 20: US and European powers gave negotiators at the Kosovo peace conference here on Saturday another three days to reach agreement after running up against Serb objections to a NATO peacekeeping force.Citing very substantial progress,8217; the six-nation Contact Group set a new deadline of 3 pm on Tuesday for Serb and ethnic Albanian delegations to reach a peace accord that would end nearly one-year of violence in the Balkan province. But the group left no doubt it was the Serb side, refusing concessions on the military aspects of an accord, that was holding things up. 8220;Belgrade has a lion8217;s share of responsibility for the difficulties we experienced today,8221; said US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

quot;They did not want to engage at all on the security part of the agreement and for us, it is a non-starter,quot; she told a new conference following a day of intense negotiations.

Albright renewed a threat to resort to NATO air strikes to punish the Serbs if They refuse to make peace with theethnic Albanians, who make up 90 percent of Kosovo8217;s population.

quot;Preparations for military action will continue,quot; she said.

CHINA OPPOSES NATO INTERVENTION: PTI reports from Beijing that China has joined Russia to oppose any military action on a sovereign state8217;. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman zhang qiyu hoped that the international community and relevant parties inside Yugoslavia will continue to seek a political solution.8217;

China and Russia, both permanent members of the UN Security Council are opposed to any plans to use military force against Yugoslavia if no deal is reached at the peace talks in France.

Military annexes to the peace accord drafted by the international Contact Group provide for the deployment of a NATO-led force of between 28,000 and 30,000 troops to separate the warring sides.

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The Serb side views the NATO troops as an occupying force, a position supported by Russia.

quot;It is necessary that Yugoslavia, as a sovereign country consider this issue and we will supportwhatever its decision,quot; said Russian first deputy foreign minister Alexander Avdeyev, who attended the Contact Group meeting. Avedyev also warned against strikes.

Discussions focussed on whether the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe OSCE, which has 1,200 civilian observers on the ground in Kosovo, or the United Nations could take the lead in overseeing the international presence in Kosovo, according to diplomats.