By John Chalmers - Reuters

BRUSSELS - France blocked plans for an extension of NATO’s military presence in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) for a second day yesterday, insisting that a door must be left open for the EU to take over the mission if it is ready.

Diplomats said ambassadors of the 19-nation alliance failed to reach an agreement during a meeting in Brussels that went late into the evening on Monday and were no more successful when they reconvened twice yesterday.

They said a fourth session of the North Atlantic Council was set for today to break the deadlock in time for NATO’s summit in Prague at the end of this week.

“Positions are closer but the saga goes on,” said one diplomat, who asked not to be named. “We continue tomorrow.” NATO’s 700-strong Task Force Fox was deployed in FYROM last year to protect international monitors observing the return of government forces and displaced people to areas controlled by ethnic Albanian guerrillas during a bitter insurgency.

The EU had hoped to take over the mission when NATO’s mandate ends on December 15, marking a peacekeeping debut for the fledgling Rapid Reaction Force. But Britain and other EU nations have insisted that the bloc must first reach an deal with NATO on assuring access to alliance infrastructure to help the EU force’s operations.