BONN. Feb 1: NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana today warned the warring sides in Kosovo to start peace talks demanded by world powers or face military intervention, reports AP.

"This is the last,chance, and I would like to make a call for negotiations in good will to solved this tragedy." Solana said,' after talks with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Solana stressed that NATO was poised to intervene in the embattled Yugoslav province whenever he, in consultations with alliance members, decided the time was right.

"We are prepared to fully support the political channel that has been started by the Contact Group." he said.

The United States and five European nations — the Contact Group for the Balkans — have called on Kosovo's majority ethnic Albanians and Yugoslavia to open talks this week in France on a plan for substantial self-rule for Kosovo

Ethnic Albanian rebels hinted at opposition to the talks over the weekend, saying they were "organised in a rush."

But Solana said. ’This is the

last opportunity to reach peace in Kosovo."

Gen Klaus Naumann, head of NATO's military committee, said foreign ground troops would be the only way to keep the warring sides apart after a peace deal, if both sides agree to the deployment.

Should such a mission come about, "We have to accept the idea of a timespan of years." he said on German radio.’

Schroeder said the international community was "extremely serious" and that he expects "its resolve will make it clear to the warring parties that they cartit play for time."

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, who had separate talks with Schroeder on Monday. said afterward That Moscow and the western powers had "common strategic goals' in the Kosovo crisis,

Meanwhile. with both the Belgrade government and rebels playing for time. US and European envoys pressed efforts today to persuade ethnic Albanian rebels to attend this week's planned Kosovo peace conference.

A Kosovo Liberation Army official hinted late Sunday at opposition to talks in France.

saying negotiations "organised in a rush" cannot resolve the conflict.

Diplomatic efforts to get the warring sides to the bargaining table are intensifying as the conflict appears to be spreading increasingly to the Kosovo capital. Two small bombs exploded Sunday night in ethnic Albanian-run cafes in Pristina, bring to four the number of attacks in the past three days.

On Friday both an Albanian and Serb-run cafe were bombed. One person was killed and two seriously wounded in one blast but the second grenade exploded outside and caused no damage Or injuries.

Special envoys Christopher Hill of the United States and Wolfgang Pctritsch of the European Union planed to meet today with ethnic Albanian leaders, including a representative of the Kosovo Liberation Army — just five days before the peace conference is supposed to open.

Kosovo's leading moderate politician Ibrahim Rugova agreed over the weekend to attend; the conference in Rambouillet. France, but Adem Demaci, the KLA’s spokesman, only promised an answer soon.