A renewed international push for early negotiations on a political settlement was promised last night after a lengthy meeting of the Kosovo Contact Group.
With the threat of NATO air strikes hanging over the former Yugoslavia, a British Foreign Office spokesman said the group had identified the basis for a possible political settlement to end the conflict in the region, and set the goal of early negotiations "with direct international involvement".
Mr Robin Cook, the British Foreign Secretary, is expected to convene a meeting of ministers from the six-nation Contact Group for former Yugoslavia within the week. Last night it was expected that a formal invitation to talks about autonomy proposals for ethnic Albanians could be issued within 10 days of that meeting.
In advance of that last night's statement said all members of the Contact Group would be intensifying pressure on the parties to the conflict to respond positively to the proposed negotiations.
The Foreign Office spokesman said: "They have the major responsibility. It is up to them to provide the conditions so we can get on with the negotiations so we can bring peace to Kosovo."
The Contact Group issued strong condemnation of the killings which have escalated the crisis. Their agreed statement said: "The Contact Group unreservedly condemns the massacre of Kosovo Albanians in Racak on January 15th. All members expressed their revulsion at this act of mass murder. No amount of provocation could justify it." The group also condemned "provocations" by the Kosovo Liberation Army "which can only contribute to rising tensions and further violence.".
Specifically the statement also deplored the taking of hostages and called for the unconditional release of any hostages currently being held.
Ahead of yesterday's meeting, Mr Cook said NATO was ready to take military action to stop the conflict in Kosovo, stressing that any strikes would be in support of efforts to find a political solution.
The Foreign Secretary said: "We are ready to make a military intervention. But we want to see a political framework in which that military action would be reinforcing the process toward a solution."
Insisting neither side could win this war, and each would have to negotiate, Mr Cook anticipated the Contact Group agreement on what the solution should be. "If Yugoslav President Milosevic refuses," said Mr Cook, "the military pressure is there to come to the table and negotiate in good faith."