Brussels, 31/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - Macedonians and Albanian Macedonians are said to have agreed Monday evening on the use of Albanian in regions populated by at least 20% of Albanians, but negotiations are far from over for that. Talks are now said to be on implementing that rule, as well as the use of Albanian in Parliament. As we were going to press, discussions were continuing. The parties are said to want to reach agreement by Thursday, Macedonia's national holiday. Negotiations began on Saturday in the presence of the European and American envoys, Francois Leotard and James Pardew. Javier Solana declared to the Journal du Dimanche that "after a political agreement NATO may begin its task of demilitarising the UCK in ten days. It should take a month, two at most. Then EU and OSCE observers will be deployed".
In addition, on Solana's visit to Ukraine, the Ukraine Prime Minister announced that his country, which recently sold combat helicopters and planes to Macedonia, would not export weapons to the country for the time being.