On the eve of a final round of talks between Serbs and ethnic Albanians on the future of Kosovo UN mediator Marti Ahtisaari has said there is still a little room for manouevre.

He has drawn up a blueprint for the Serb province's eventual status that puts it on the path to independence.

"There are many practical issues that touch the lives of every citizen, both Albanians and other minorities. So on those issues it is worthwhile to sit and see whether we can further improve the proposals."
The vast majority of Serbs are against any proposals that would sever links with what they regard as a cherished and integral part of their nation.

They also have concerns for the minority of Serbs who remain in Kosovo, which has been administered by the UN since the war of 1999.

Albanian delegates at the talks in Vienna are more supportive of the plan but want full independence as soon as possible.

Ahtisaari expects to submit his proposals to the UN Security Council in mid-March.

PHOTO CAPTION

A Kosovo Serb priest travels in a bus as he leaves a vandalized graveyard in the ethnically divided Kosovo town of Mitrovica, February 10, 2007. (REUTERS)