The supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe, General Wesley Clark, is in Macedonia for talks on the situation in the neighbouring Serbian province of Kosovo, at a time of increasing concern about the resurgence of violence there.

He is expected to meet Macedonian officials to discuss the deployment of an international force, which could rescue peace monitors in the event of violence against them.

In comments on his arrival, General Clark said that there had been a marked increase in aggression by Serb police against the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, in violation of promises made by the Yugoslav government but he also called on ethnic Albanian seperatists to stop their attacks.