Brussels, 01/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - Talks were continuing in Macedonia, where participants were to decide to meet again on Friday, after a day of rest on Thursday for the National Day. The date hoped for for the end of negotiations has been postponed to the weekend. Meanwhile, and whereas Albanian guerrillas are said to have fired some shots and killed a policeman Tuesday night, according to the official news agency MIA, the United States has transferred a hundred of its soldiers from Macedonia to Kosovo. Another hundred should follow, and there would therefore remain some 300 American troops. "This measure is temporary. It has been taken for reasons of safety", declared a Pentagon spokesman.
Regarding talks on the use of Albanian in Macedonia, may we note that according to the last poll, undertaken in 1994, a third of the towns have over 20% Albanians, including the capital Skopje. In all these towns, the use of Albanian would be possible in relations with the administration, if negotiations confirm agreement on that threshold, and it application.