NATO said today it will send more troops to Kosovo's southern border with Macedonia to curb the movement of ethnic Albanian rebels.
Secretary-General Lord Roberton told reporters after talks in Brussels with Macedonian Foreign Minister Mr Srgan Kerim the international community would not, however, seek an extended mandate to operate within Macedonia itself.
"We'll be asking individual [NATO] members to add to the troops they have in Kosovo in order that more flexibility can be given to the task," he said.
"The number of troops in the border region will be adequate to the task that is set out and the objective will be pursued with considerable vigour", he added.
He declined to give any details of how many troops could be redeployed into the mountainous and forested border area where ethnic Albanian rebels have exchanged fire with Macedonian forces over the past six days.