Breakthrough in Macedonian peace talks

Macedonian peace talks made a breakthrough today with agreement on police reforms as part of a plan to end an ethnic Albanian…

Macedonian peace talks made a breakthrough today with agreement on police reforms as part of a plan to end an ethnic Albanian rebellion, a Western source said.

Asked if there was a deal after a day of talks attended by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, the source said: "We've got it".

Ethnic Albanian demands for a bigger role in the police force had been one of the main outstanding sticking points in the week-long talks between the leaders of the biggest Macedonian Slav and ethnic Albanian political parties.

Other issues of constitutional reforms still remain to be addressed at the talks before a peace blueprint can be signed to appease ethnic Albanians, who make up a third of the country's two million people.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter