Monday, March 1, 1999 Published at 15:57 GMT
UN peacekeepers prepare to leave Macedonia
UN soldiers could be transferred to Nato authority
The United Nations peacekeeping force in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has ceased all activities after China vetoed the renewal of its mandate in the Security Council.
A spokesman said the 1,000 soldiers who make up the force are setting in hand preparations to leave, and are waiting for instructions from their respective countries.
The dismantling and packing process could last about two months.
China refused to extend the mandate after Macedonia established diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which China considers a rebel province.
The UN Preventive Deployment Force, Unpredep, was set up in 1993 to prevent war in Bosnia-Hercegovina from spilling over into Macedonia.
Correspondents say there are suggestions that the UN soldiers could be transferred to Nato authority.
Other side of the coin
Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister of Taiwan, Jason Hu, is on his way to Macedonia with a delegation from government and private businesses to follow up their promises of economic aid and investment.
Mr Hu has pledged $230m in grants and loans to develop small businesses and farms in Macedonia, the poorest of the former Yugoslav republics.
The BBC Balkans Reporter, Paul Wood, says it was perhaps the size of the promised cash injection which led Macedonia to take the risky step of angering the Chinese Government.
Furthermore, Skopje hopes that as a result of establishing diplomatic relations with Taipei an additional $1bn of investment will flow into Macedonia.
Diminishing importance of Unpredep
The cost is sacrificing Unpredep, the first and only purely preventative troop deployment in the history of UN peacekeeping.
However, the recent Serb shelling of ethnic Albanian villages near the Macedonian border has driven hundreds of refugees into Macedonia.
This led Skopje to accuse Belgrade on Saturday of trying to drag Macedonia into the conflict.