Leaders of Macedonian Slav and ethnic Albanian parties made a breakthrough agreement yesterday to discuss a new project for changing the constitution, in an attempt to stem an escalating Albanian uprising, President Boris Trajkovski said.
But even as the deal was announced fresh fighting was reported in the north of the country, where the guerrillas of the self-styled National Liberation Army (NLA) have been fighting since February.
The constitutional project was proposed by Mr Robert Badinter, one of France's most respected elder statesmen and a former justice minister.
Mr Badinter has been in Macedonia for over a week at the direct request of the Macedonian President, Mr Boris Trajkovski, to advise on constitutional changes demanded by ethnic Albanian politicians and rebels fighting the government.
The leaders of the four parties - two Macedonian Slavs and two ethnic Albanians - in the fractious national unity government met late on Tuesday with Mr Trajkovski and US and EU envoys to resume their stalled dialogue on political reforms.
The meeting resulted in an "important accord which should allow a visible and rapid development in the political process," Mr Trajkovski told reporters.
"This accord preserves the unitary character of the state," said Mr Trajkovski, who had earlier broken off talks to accuse ethnic Albanians of trying to split Macedonia into two federal units based on ethnicity.
Mr Badinter's proposal would boost local powers in the multiethnic state.