In all, the 16-member ethnic Albanian delegation includes five soldiers of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

But as the negotiators deal with the two sides sequestered here, the complexities of the ethnic Albanian delegation are the most important to grasp.

In the French countryside, the 16-member ethnic Albanian delegation and the 13 Serbs are actually bit characters.

The ethnic Albanian delegation at the talks has already given the deal conditional approval and is expected to make a formal decision within a week.

Today's bombs exploded at about the time the ethnic Albanian delegation took off for Paris.

The outside expertise is essential to the ethnic Albanian delegation, Mr. Williams said, because it does not include any lawyers and has few members with international experience.

The start of the talks was delayed by Serbian maneuvering and the subsequent late arrival of the ethnic Albanian delegation.

Mr. Rugova was part of the ethnic Albanian delegation that signed the Rambouillet peace accords.

"We agreed to a document that has already been completed," said a leader of the ethnic Albanian delegation, Veton Surroi.

Mr. Rugova was a part of the ethnic Albanian delegation that signed a Western-drafted peace treaty rejected by the Serbs.