Pardew in Macedonia for talks

The United States special envoy, James Pardew, is back in Macedonia for talks with key figures including the President, Boris Trajkovski.

The discussions, which will include the European Union's representative, Francois Leotard, are likely to centre on the peace agreement signed in August between the government and ethnic Albanian rebels.

The rebels have surrendered 3,400 weapons as part of the deal, which promises reforms designed to benefit Albanians.

But the speaker of parliament, Stojan Andov, has threatened to delay a key parliamentary session scheduled for Friday until the rebels release or clarify the fate of more than a dozen missing civilians.

The rebels say they are not holding any hostages.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service