Christopher Hill, head of the three mediators, appealed to journalists at the talks near Paris to ignore leaked complaints or reports of the negotiations, describing them as contradictory.

The talks are making slow progress with Serb and ethnic Albanian delegates instructed not to leave the grounds of Rambouillet Chateau until they reach agreement.

Bridget Kendall: Cellphone diplomacy

The talks' co-chairmen, UK Foreign Secretary Robin Cook and French counterpart Hubert Vedrine visited on Tuesday in an attempt to push the sides towards an agreement.

Mr Cook said a lot of work remained to be done but he hoped that the two sides would be ready for face-to-face negotiations within days.

Distractions

It's good to talk: Mobile phones keeping media informed

But mediators say phone calls to Serb and Albanian journalists, in which both sides are outlining new proposals and demands, are proving a distraction.

Russian negotiator, Boris Mayorsky, said: "They create extra excitement outside the negotiation quarters and it doesn't help - but these are facts of life.

"We get excited ourselves for five minutes after we read the newspaper, then we go on working."

Mr Hill said: "Frankly with the excessive amount of complaints or comments that are leaking out, people should understand that most of them are contradictory and don't make sense."

Observers believe that a deal based on the plan proposed by the international Contact Group on Yugoslavia will only be reached in the last few days before the two week deadline for the completion of talks.

If they don't reach agreement the Contact Group says they will face possible Nato military intervention.

'Chateau fatigue'

Mr Hill said he was pleased with the progress that had been made. But he acknowledged neither delegation was happy with what was on offer, and confessed to "chateau fatigue".

Mark Laity in Rambouillet: Mediators are aware they are working to very tight deadlines

He stressed that talks had so far addressed only the framework of a political settlement, with a view to moving on to security details at a later date.

Ethnic Albanian objections to the peace plan include:

• The lack of a full independence option for Kosovo
• The demands that the Kosovo Liberation Army disarm

Serb objections include:

• The demand for a formal ceasefire
• The required withdrawal of troops from Kosovo

Orla Guerin visits one of the few villages where Serbs and Albanians are not fighting

US warning

US State Department spokesman James Rubin responded that Yugoslavia would be subject to Nato air attacks if it did not accept the peace plan - including the deployment of an international peacekeeping force.

The European Union representative at the talks, Wolfgang Petritsch, said that a significant hurdle had already been cleared with the acceptance of the Contact Group's basic framework towards autonomy for the province