U.S. appeals for peace in Macedonia

Violence continued in the region on Friday

By CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States Friday called upon Macedonia's Slavs and ethnic Albanians to "cease fighting and focus on a political solution" to the violent conflict between Albanian extremists and government forces.

Deputy State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said in a written statement the "answer to the situation in Macedonia" remains a political dialogue leading to the demilitarization of the armed rebels.

"There is no military solution," he said.

Macedonian government forces Friday launched heavy assaults against ethnic Albanian rebel positions, an offensive that followed the resumption of peace talks between political leaders from both sides.

Rebel commanders in the town of Aracinovo said they were holding their positions. They expressed anger at the Macedonian army for launching the attacks.

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The rebels had agreed to a ceasefire until June 27, and their commanders said government authorities had promised to show restraint during the talks.

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U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell Friday called Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski to "reiterate the need for a policy of military restraint," Reeker said.

Politicians agreed to restart their dialogue after the visit Thursday by Javier Solana, the European Union's foreign policy chief. He arrived in Skopje amid Macedonian suspicions that ethnic Albanian leaders may have been seeking NATO's help in policing a partition of the country.

NATO Secretary-General George Robertson denied those suspicions in an interview with CNN Thursday.

"NATO will not become involved in partitioning that country," Robertson said. "We're not going to engage in an operation that will fix demarcation lines. This is one country, and it will remain one country."

Robertson said NATO is willing, however, to send its troops to the country "to receive the arms of those who wish to give up this unreasonable and unwinnable fight."

NATO offered this week to supervise demilitarization of the extremists, an element of a peace plan submitted by Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski.

The plan calls for a permanent ceasefire and a political settlement to address concerns by Macedonia's ethnic Albanian minority that it receives unequal treatment under the country's constitution.

Talks broke down Wednesday when Trajkovski declared them in a deadlock, accusing the Albanian side of conspiring with the rebels and making unreasonable demands.

Politicians from both sides were expressing skepticism Friday morning that they would be able to reach any agreement before Monday, when they are scheduled to present what progress they have made to a European Union meeting.

But Solana said he was optimistic now that the talks had resumed.

"The leaders are going to come to the next general affairs council on Monday," he sid. "I think we will be able to solve ... the problem."

In Washington, Reeker pointed out that Friday's events "call into question" the atmosphere for a fruitful political dialogue.

Reeker also reiterated the position of the Bush administration that any political dialogue "must show results and be acknowledged as the way forward."

Powell spoke twice Friday with Solana and twice with Robertson. Thursday he met with Robertson to discuss the potential NATO mission, but said that no U.S. troops had been committed as of yet.