Security Council nears agreement on Kosovo resolution

The United Nations Security Council is expected to discuss "in the very near future" a draft resolution enshrining the October…

The United Nations Security Council is expected to discuss "in the very near future" a draft resolution enshrining the October 13th agreement on Kosovo, the council president said yesterday.

Western diplomats said that Russia was continuing to resist proposals in a British draft resolution providing for enforcement measures in case of non-compliance by Belgrade, and had submitted a separate text.

The resolution aims to enshrine the agreement reached between the US envoy, Mr Richard Holbrooke, and the Yugoslav President, Mr Slobodan Milosevic.

The UN demands, spelled out in resolution 1199, include a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Serbian security forces from Kosovo in order to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.

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The October 13th accord notably provides for international monitoring to verify compliance with the UN demands.

Ambassadors of the six Contact Group nations - Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the United States, - as well as the UN envoys of Japan, Portugal and Sweden, were attempting to narrow the differences on the draft resolution yesterday.

According to western diplomats, the British draft as it stands provides for the automatic use of force to protect the observers of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). If Belgrade still fails to comply with the UN demands, the council would authorise the use of force following reports from NATO and the OSCE.