The secessionist Serbs are condemned to repeat their refusal to accept the Contact Group peace plan.The international community is therefore refining its policy of isolating the Serbs, hoping that by concentrating on President Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia, it can break the logjam. The five envoys can pat themselves on the back this morning at their meeting in London Despite internal disputes the group has survived, united Bosnia is another story. It is a year since five major powers – Washington, London, Paris, Bonn and Moscow – formed the Contact Group and waded into the mire of the Bosnian war in search of a settlement. As a new crisis over the fate of the Americans develops, that prospect hardly seems any closer..

France and Russia, which have been more sympathetic to Iraq, were said to be puzzled by Baghdad’s strategy in imprisoning the Americans, particularly as another sanctions review is due at the United Nations next month.Britain and the United States joined, however, to propose a UN resolution to allow Iraq to export $1bn (£629m) worth of oil every 90 days on condition that the proceeds are used for humanitarian needs only, such as the purchase of medicines and other materials to reduce human suffering.Baghdad has been consistent in opposing such a resolution, insisting instead that all the sanctions be lifted. “I don’t think we can tolerate hostage-taking.”Relations between Baghdad and Washington had already become more strained over recent weeks as the United States, with Britain, has led resistance to any lifting of the UN sanctions imposed on Iraq after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait. The so-called Schengen group, comprising France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal, have enacted the scheme. Italy, Austria and Greece will join it later and Denmark is thinking about it.
It is only five years behind schedule.

Antonio Vitorino, a Portuguese MEP, described it as like “waiting for Godot”. The idea was conceived in 1985, with a nominal deadline of 1990. All EU states agreed in 1985 to create a border-free area, but the Schengen group decided to go faster.As from yesterday, airline passengers from these countries were treated as domestic travellers and shifted to domestic terminals No hitches were reported Land borders will come into line by July. Because Britain and other EU states excluded themselves, there will be three categories of airline traveller: Schengen, EU non-Schengen and international.There may be extra delays for Britons flying to the Continent, as they will be routed to different parts of the airport. “There should be no difference,” said Luc Geens, British Airways station manager at Brussels airport.