BBC News Online: World: Europe

Deadline for peace in Kosovo

The officials, meeting in Paris, said both sides should be told to stop the fighting, resume talks on the status of Kosovo, and organise the return of ethnic Albanian refugees.

The Contact Group's foreign ministers will decide on Friday whether to endorse the proposals.

The Contact Group has representatives from the United States, Russia, France, Britain, Germany and Italy.

Many thousands of ethnic Albanians have fled from their homes as a result of Serbian attacks.

Crowds of ethnic Albanians took to the streets of Kosovo again on Wednesday to express their support for the Kosovo Liberation Army, which is fighting for independence from Serbia.

In London, the UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, told parliament that Mr Milosevic would respond to diplomatic pressure only if it was backed up by the credible threat of military force.

They were working as hard as possible, he said, to get the necessary support for that course of action.

Mr Blair was referring to efforts by Britain and the United States to obtain a Security Council resolution authorising the use of force.

The American Defence Secretary, William Cohen, said he hoped the shelling of innocent people could be ended without military means, but it was not ruled out.

Mr Cohen will be attending a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Brussels on Thursday which is expected to order planning for possible air strikes against Serbian forces in Kosovo.

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