EU paves way to extend mission in Macedonia

European Union foreign ministers agreed yesterday that European troops should stay in Macedonia after Nato's mission finishes later this month, to protect civilian observers and prevent a new "security vacuum", despite reservations in Skopje.

With Western soldiers due to end their deployment in Macedonia on 26 September, EU ministers said that a successor should be based on the existing, largely European, Nato force with new elements such as Russian and Ukrainian troops.

Western diplomats trod cautiously, aware that the Macedonian government has said it does not want a new Nato mission. The alliance, too, says that its "Operation Essential Harvest", to disarm Albanian guerrillas, will end as promised after 30 days. What is clear from yesterday's meeting, though, that the government in Skopje will come under mounting pressure to accept a new, slimmer force, with a different mandate but almost certainly under Nato command.

Louis Michel, Foreign Minister of Belgium, which holds the EU presidency, said: "To avoid a security vacuum when Nato withdraws the most realistic option appears to be to deploy forces on the basis of what already exists – Nato plus [contributions from other nations such as Russia]".

Russian involvement would reassure the Macedonian government, which needs to appease domestic opinion over Nato's perceived sympathy for the ethnic Albanian guerrillas. For their part, EU ministers see the work of well-protected observers as vital to ensure that Macedonian hardliners do not resume attacks on ethnic Albanians once Nato leaves.

Chris Patten, European commissioner for external affairs, made clear that the presence of about a hundred observers from the EU and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe – and the EU's multimillion-pound reconstruction programme – depended on the Macedonians agreeing to an international force. "We cannot send people into a situation where their lives are at risk," Mr Patten said.

While there was consensus on the need for a military presence to protect civilian observers, there was discord on the terms under which a new Nato detachment would be deployed. Germany, which circulated a paper proposing the new force, called for its operations to be covered by a UN mandate.

That was backed by Finland, Sweden and Ireland, but resisted by the UK. The British view was that UN agreement, which would require Chinese and Russian backing, would be "a very complicated thing to get through". One diplomat said: "It gives a lot of people the opportunity to create mischief."

A UN resolution is important for Germany to get parliamentary approval for participation in a new Nato deployment. Some other countries, including Ireland, have made clear that they will contribute only to a mission covered by UN mandate.

The EU ministers agreed Europe's embryonic rapid reaction force was not yet ready to take over from Nato in Macedonia. Hubert Vedrine, France's Foreign Minister, said: "If the new European security and defence arrangements were organised enough for this mission, it would be a good idea. But because it isn't quite ready yet, I think it is more sensible, easier and more practical to act in a Nato framework."