The German Foreign Minister, Mr Joschka Fischer, appeared confident that peace for Kosovo was in view yesterday as he announced that the leading Western countries and Russia had finally agreed on the text of a UN Security Council resolution. "After several hours of discussions, we have managed to unite on an agreement. We have managed to achieve a real breakthrough," he said.
But within a few minutes of the start of a foreign ministers' press conference in Cologne's 15th century Gurzenich building, it was clear that a number of key details were yet to be finalised. As Mr Fischer was about to answer a question about who would lead the peacekeeping force in Kosovo, the US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, whispered "NATO".
An appendix to the draft resolution refers to a substantial NATO element in the force but Russia and Germany stressed that the technical details of the make-up of the peacekeeping force would be worked out later, probably by the security council.
The draft resolution says that there will be a unified command structure and, despite earlier Russian objections, calls on all parties to co-operate with the International War Crimes Tribunal which has indicted President Slobodan Milosovic.
Yugoslav forces will have a presence at Kosovo's borders but they will not be allowed to determine who enters the province. Belgrade's deputy foreign minister, Mr Nebojsa Vujovic, has been demanding that Yugoslav forces should be allowed to prevent any non-Kosovan Albanians from entering Kosovo, which remains part of Yugoslav territory.
"The Serbian border crossing people and customs officials should stay to see there are only refugees coming back, not the people from Albania proper including those separatists and terrorists," he said.
Russia held up agreement on the draft resolution for one day as the Foreign Minister, Mr Igor Ivanov, sought overnight guidance from Moscow. But Russia and the West appeared united yesterday in their determination to pass the security council resolution and expedite the withdrawal of Serbian forces from Kosovo.
"This sort of document hardly ever satisfies those who take part in the negotiations. The important part is that this document should allow us to achieve the objective that we have, which is to stop the war in the Balkans. If we can accomplish that, then we can be satisfied with the resolution," Mr Ivanov said.
Terms of the agreement brokered in Belgrade last week by the Finnish President, Mr Martti Ahtisaari, and the Russian envoy, Mr Viktor Chernomyrdin, will be annexed to the resolution. Mr Ahtisaari was in Beijing yesterday, attempting to persuade the Chinese to support the resolution.
Yesterday's agreement opens the way to a sequence of events aimed at implementing the Kosovo peace plan but diplomats admitted yesterday that the choreographing of each step could prove hazardous.
The security council will approve the resolution as quickly as possible but will not formally adopt it immediately. The talks between NATO's Lieut. Gen. Sir Michael Jackson and Yugoslav military commanders will continue - outlining a precise plan for the Serbian withdrawal.
As soon as the withdrawal has begun, NATO will halt its bombing campaign against Yugoslavia. Once the bombing stops, the security council will formally adopt the resolution governing the establishment of peace in the province.
Mr Fischer said yesterday that the entire process could be completed within a few days, so that the first peacekeeping troops could enter Kosovo by the end of this week.
