Speaking at a live mine disposal demonstration in Pristina, he said over 14,350 mines have been removed or destroyed in Kosovo. "The speed at which clearance is occurring is unprecedented anywhere in the world," he said. At this pace, he added, Kosovo's mine problem can be solved in three years.

Dr. Kouchner said 800 Kosovars have been trained in mine clearance and mine awareness organizations and experts have visited 50 per cent of the schools located in mine-contaminated areas. "But the battle is still not won. Every mine or cluster bomb removed is a life or a limb saved, " he said.

There are currently 1,415 known or suspected mine fields in Kosovo. Of these, 503 are classified as priority one with a very high impact on the general community, according to UNMIK.

UNMIK established a Mine Action Co-ordination Centre (MACC) in June 1999. MACC is the focal point for all mine clearance activity in Kosovo.

UNMIK spokeswoman Nadia Younes said that the head of UNMIK, Dr. Bernard Kouchner, was hopeful that Mr. Hashim Thaci, the president of PDK, will end his boycott of the Joint Interim Administrative Structure (JIAS).

She said Dr. Kouchner yesterday met briefly with Mr. Thaci and they agreed to meet again on Friday to continue "bilateral discussions".

Mr. Thaci is the former political leader of the disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army and leader of one of Kosovo's largest political parties. He blamed his boycott of the JIAS mainly on an agreement signed last week between Dr. Kouchner and Bishop Artemije Radosavljevic, leader of the Serb National Council. The agreement lays down "concrete steps", including the setting up of a special force to protect Serbs, as a precondition for the Serbs to end their own boycott of the JIAS.

Ms. Younes said the "understanding" with the Serbs will not be changed and some of the measures have already been taken.