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Plea for Kosovo police

His remarks came as the UN-sponsored Transitional Council began talks aimed at bringing together Kosovo's major political figures to map out the future of the province.

And they followed a warning from the UK opposition Conservative Party that peacekeepers were struggling to keep order with violence "spiralling out of control".

Moderate ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova was present at Saturday's talks but the head of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Hashim Thaci, failed to arrive.

Concern over security

The key theme of the meeting is the province's security.

Reprisal attacks by the Albanian population are forcing the diminishing Serb minority to flee - despite the presence of some 40,000 Nato-led peacekeepers.

On Friday, the police officially took over some of the duties from the international peacekeeping force, K-For, but there has been criticism that there are too few of them to prevent attacks on the Serb minority.

In a French radio interview, Mr Kouchner said countries which had promised to deploy officers were dragging their feet.

Pledge

The leader of the Democratic League of Kososvo party (LDK) attended the meeting, after boycotting the council's first meeting last month because his party wanted more seats.

On Friday, Mr Rugova pledged to guarantee the lives and properties of Serbs who remain in the province. He said the ability to protect Kosovo's Serbs was a test for ethnic Albanian political groups.

"We must set an example before the United Nations and the rest of the world, it's a new test," he said.

The second transitional council meeting should have taken place almost one month ago but was postponed after 14 Serb farmers were found killed near the village of Gracko.

Election timetable

The 13-member council is the highest body advising the international officials who are running the province until new elections are held.

The BBC's Paul Wood in Pristina says the council will only advise, but will be influential in deciding when and under what system elections are held in Kosovo.

International officials are working towards spring of next year, assuming accurate voter registration lists can be compiled.

They have the sensitive task of brokering proposals which do not give any advantage to any one party in Kosovo's political arena, our correspondent says.

War crimes suspects

Meanwhile, Nato peacekeepers were interrogating three Serbs who allegedly committed atrocities against Kosovo Albanians before and during the alliance's campaign against Yugoslavia.

The three suspects were arrested on Friday by German and Dutch troops in the southern town of Orahovac for possible involvement in "serious crimes", Nato said.

Dutch forces have been patrolling Orahovac, which is in the German sector, for weeks but are now preparing to withdraw and hand over to Russian troops on Monday amid objections from the town's Kosovo Albanian population.

The Albanians resent the presence of the Russians, saying they fear they support the Serbs. The Albanian population also fears the Russians could allow war criminals to escape.

Relevant Stories

Kosovo violence 'spiralling' (21 Aug 99 | Europe)
Russia threatens Kosovo pullout (20 Aug 99 | Europe)
Serbia's opposition divided by common cause (21 Aug 99 | Europe)
Serbian authorities dismiss rally (20 Aug 99 | Europe)
Nato's inner Kosovo conflict (20 Aug 99 | Europe)
UN evacuates Kosovo Serbs (18 Aug 99 | Europe)
Serb villagers flee en masse (01 Aug 99 | Europe)

Internet Links

Yugoslav Ministry of Information
UN in Kosovo
Nato

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