Buckling to Western pressure, the speaker of Macedonia’s parliament agreed to restart the debate today on reforms to boost the status of the ethnic Albanian minority, following the weekend impasse.

A new demand by the Macedonian Government for ethnic Albanian rebels to disarm completely prior to final approval of a deal has temporarily stalled peace negotiations.

Outraged by the killing of five soldiers, Macedonia’s Prime Minister is to ask Parliament to declare a state of war against ethnic Albanian rebels, despite international appeals to resolve the conflict peacefully.

Macedonia has formed a broad Government coalition that includes representatives of the major ethnic Albanian parties, in the hope it will help the country avoid all-out war.

The Macedonian army sent four tanks rolling into the country’s second-largest city today, signalling the military is ready to engage ethnic Albanian rebels fighting for increased rights.