The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen, is to make a four-day visit to the Western Balkans, as part of the preparations for Ireland's EU Presidency in the first half of 2004.

Macedonians disagreed today over the prospects of a peace deal even as the country’s leaders took steps to allow Nato troops to disarm ethnic Albanian rebels.

Macedonia's army has pounded an ethnic Albanian village with helicopter gunships after at least seven soldiers were killed by land mines.