Kosovo's peace talks taking place in a French chateau have slowed to a crawl with both sides waiting to see how much pressure the international community will bring to bear at a meeting due this weekend. The meeting of the six-power Contact Group, called to review progress in a week of talks at the luxurious Rambouillet Chateau, outside Paris, will face pressure to clarify the military action it has said it will take if either side obstructs peace.
Yesterday saw the Serb-led Yugoslav delegation agree to face-to-face talks with their ethnic Albanian foes only if the Albanians renounce their calls for independence.
At present the two delegations occupy different floors of this 14th century chateau, with US, Russian and Austrian envoys shuttling between the two in what are called "proximity talks".
The ethnic Albanian guerrillas, the Kosovo Liberation Army, have in turn said there can be no more discussions unless the Yugoslavs sign a ceasefire.
Behind these threats, both delegations are keen to wring the maximum out of any possible deal.
The Yugoslavs, in particular, are anxious about whether a NATO peacekeeping force would erode their authority in the province.
A senior official with the Kosovo Liberation Army in Rambouillet told The Irish Times last night that the ethnic Albanians would refuse the Yugoslav demand. "This option is excluded, no Albanian would ever sign such a thing," he said. "If he did he would not live very long."
In moves to heighten the pressure, the US said it would consider bombing the Serbs if they obstructed the peace process, while French President Jacques Chirac met military chiefs to discuss France's planned offer of 5,000 troops for a 30,000-strong peacekeeping force.
Last month NATO announced that it was threatening military action against both sides if either obstructed the Rambouillet process. Now both sides are likely to watch the Contact Group to see if there is unanimity for such action.
"I am not optimistic, I don't think any agreement is possible without NATO bombing," said the KLA source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A leading independent Serbian newspaper, VIP, said it expected the talks to last three weeks, with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic likely to test Western resolve before signing anything.
Western officials say there is progress on the "nuts and bolts" of a Kosovo peace plan drafted by US envoy, Mr Chris Hill. His plan calls for the province to have autonomy for three years, after which the independence question can be considered.
While the big questions, such as having a NATO peacekeeping force in the province, remain unanswered, talks are going on about the size of the Yugoslav forces which would stay in the province, and the size and function of an ethnic Albanian police force.