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NATO on Target for Next Stage of Macedonian Peace Plan
SKOPJE, Sept 10 (News Agencies) - NATO continued Monday collecting arms from the Albanian National Liberation Army (NLA) in Macedonia, saying its operation was on track for the next political phase of a Western-backed peace plan later this week.
NATO's Operation Essential Harvest is due to end its second phase of arms collection by Thursday, after which Skopje's parliament is scheduled to resume debate on constitutional changes to boost Muslim Albanians' rights.
According to the latest figures, NATO troops collected 232 arms last Friday, in the first day of the second phase of weapons gathering, taking the total number of weapons overall to 1,442, according to a spokesman.
"We are confident that this phase is going to be successful and that we will attain our objectives," said NATO spokesman Barry Johnson.
The British-led NATO operation collected some 1,210 weapons at the end of August in a first phase of a Western-backed peace plan signed on August 13th to end seven months of conflict in the fragile Balkan state.
Under the plan, the NLA has agreed to hand in their weapons in return for a strengthening of the rights of Muslim Albanians, who constitute up to a third of the population.
Alliance troops launched a second phase last Friday, to collect another 1,100 - a second third - of the total of 3,300 arms it wants to collect from the NLA under its 30-day mandate.
After a one-day operation last Friday at Radusa, northwest of Skopje, NATO troops opened a second site Sunday at Brodec, near the flashpoint town of Tetovo in northwestern Macedonia.
That site remained open Monday "at the request of the so-called NLA, who indicated they want to hand in more arms," Johnson told journalists.
A third site will be opened on Wednesday, the last day of the second phase, at an undisclosed location, he added.
NATO is being extremely cautious about giving out figures for how many arms have been handed over in the second phase, after making a mistake during the first phase and having to issue a correction.
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