Macedonia's prime minister has urged tougher action to recapture territory held by ethnic Albanian rebels, saying it would be shameful to sign any peace deal under rebel threats.
Mr Ljubco Georgievski said he was optimistic current talks between leaders of Macedonia's four main political parties could end with a plan to avert a new Balkan war.
"But signing that document while our territories are occupied by terrorists would be a shameful agreement for Macedonia," he said in a speech at a monastery where Macedonia agreed on August 2nd, 1944, to become a part of former Yugoslavia.
The speech dampened the optimism after the two main ethnic Albanian and two Macedonian Slav political parties made a breakthrough yesterday by agreeing wider official use of the Albanian language.
The dispute over Albanian had been a major sticking point in the talks aimed at ending the uprising. The talks in the southern lakeside town of Ohrid, brokered by European Union and US envoys, took a break today but will resume on Friday.
"I'm an optimist that with a bit of political will we can reach the end and sign a document," Mr Georgievski said.
"But it's one thing if we sign the document feeling shameful and insulted and another to do it as honourable Macedonians who won and knew how to free the territory," he said.
The agreement on language hinges on politicians agreeing a wider pact of constitutional reforms. Once a deal is in place, NATO has said it is willing to deploy 3,000 troops who will take weapons handed in by the rebels.