Deal reached on new Macedonia constitution

Macedonia's political leaders have reached a deal on key constitutional changes mediated by the EU, diplomatic sources said.

This deal clears the way for the full implementation of a peace plan mediated by EU foreign policy chief Mr Javier Solana.

Mr Solana held two meetings with President Boris Trajkovski today to try to salvage a plan under which ethnic Albanian rebels agreed to hand over nearly 4,000 weapons to NATO and disband.

They have already fulfilled this commitment, NATO have confirmed.

Hardline Macedonian nationalists had resisted making reciprocal concessions recognising greater political and cultural rights for the Albanian minority.