Djindjic: No foreign mediation for southern Serbia

He told the state news agency Tanjug that he would welcome foreign "services", but he opposed third party mediation.

In his words, it would send a "false signal" that the two sides were equal and that Serbia was unable to solve the problem.

The "services" include international presence in the area, Djindjic said, referring to the already existing European Union monitoring mission in Bujanovac and regular cvisits by Belgrade-based foreign diplomats.

Governments of Serbia and Yugoslavia adopted a plan to defuse the crisis through reintegration of Albanians into political institutions, gradual but swift demilitarization and, finally, an economic and social reconstruction effort.

Russian and the United States top officials were quoted as saying that they back the proposal and the European Union ministerial delegation on Thursday said it has not assessed it yet.

Serbian deputy premier and head of the state committe in charge of the crisis Nebojsa Covic said KFOR and UNMIK, the military and civil missions in Kosovo also "fully backed" the plan.

But leaders of the Albanian guerrilla group attacking the police from the demilitarized zone along Serbia's administative border with Kosovo rejected it, according to Pristina papers.

They reportedly said that the Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac Liberation Army (UCPMB) would contuinue fighting to secede the Presevo Valley from Serbia and join it with Kosovo.

(dpa)