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Pastimes : Kosovo -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Yaacov who wrote (13361)	7/6/1999 5:59:00 PM
From: goldsnow	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17770

Russia can fly troops to Kosovo By Marcus Warren in Moscow RUSSIA and Nato yesterday resolved the dispute delaying the deployment of more Russian paratroopers to the Balkans after a bickering session that bodes ill for co-operation once they are in Kosovo. There were now no longer any obstacles to the airlift of Russian troops to Pristina, officials in Moscow said at the end of talks with their Nato counterparts in the Russian capital. Russian officers had tried to expand their area of influence into the Italian-patrolled zone in Kosovo. The attempt led Nato to ask Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania to deny Russian military flights permission to cross their air space to fly reinforcements to Kosovo. Nato officers, who had held inconclusive talks with Russian officers in Mons, Belgium, for three days last week, rushed to Moscow on Sunday to wrap up an agreement. Madeleine Albright, America's Secretary of State, also telephoned Igor Ivanov, the Russian Foreign Minister, on Friday about the impasse. Cargo planes had been ready to fly to Kosovo to reinforce Russian soldiers already there on Sunday. The Russian military was known to be unhappy at having to sacrifice its dream of its own sector in Kosovo and was determined to have complete control of its own forces, sidelining Nato. There had been suggestions that Russia wanted to extend corridors between its bases in different Nato sectors, creating a form of Russian zone, or mass troops at Pristina airport, turning it into a Russians-only base. Yesterday's negotiations appeared to be successful in nailing down the day to day details of running KFOR, but they were unlikely to dispel the suspicion both sides harbour about the other. The experience of having its airlift blockaded has humiliated Moscow and will strengthen traditional Russian fears of being surrounded by enemies. The first Russian flights to Pristina for over a week may now leave today. Russia is supposed to supply only 3,600 troops of the 50,000-strong international military presence. But integrating them into KFOR without hurting Russian pride has been far more difficult than their small numbers imply. telegraph.co.uk