Eng/Albanian/Nat

Ibrahim Rugova, the president of Kosovo's self-declared government, is visiting the United States to drum up support from the Clinton administration for the troubled province.

And in an unprecedented move, Dr Ibrahim Rugova, will meet U-S President Bill Clinton for the first time on Friday at the White House.

Ethnic Albanian leaders are also urging the Clinton administration to renew its threat of sanctions on Yugoslavia if the Slobodan Milosevic's government fails to end police violence in the region.

U-S President Bill Clinton is taking the extraordinary step of meeting Ibrahim Rugova, the President of Kosovo's self-declared government, to shore up support for Rug ova's nonviolent agenda.

Friday's meeting at the White House will be the first time Clinton has met with Rugova.

Fearful of a Bosnia-style eruption of violence in Kosovo, the invitation to the White House is being seen as a way to boost support for Rugova.

Some of Rug ova's fiercest critics are doubting the leader's effectiveness in dealing with the crisis in the Serbian province.

On Thursday, Rugova and representatives of the Kosova leadership met U-S State Department officials, foreign diplomats and lobbyists.

Speaking at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, Rugova publicly urged the Clinton administration for more support.

SOUNDBITE: (Albanian - English translation)

"As I said from the beginning I will be urging for more, more support on the part of the United States. And certainly there is readiness for more support."

SUPER CAPTION: Dr Ibrahim Rugova, Kosovo leader

Ninety percent of Kosovo's population is ethnic Albanian.

Serbian authorities have launched a clampdown on militant ethnic-Albanian separatists, who have fought back in sporadic skirmishes.

Rugova is hoping that the U-S' present role - as facilitator for talks with Serbian President Milosevic - could be upgraded to mediator.

SOUNDBITE: (Albanian - English translation)

"And facilitation, allow me not to go into details - but facilitation is maybe leading towards mediation. Especially when it is facilitation of a friendly country."

SUPER CAPTION: Dr Ibrahim Rugova, Kosovo leader

Ethnic Albanian leaders are also urging the Clinton administration to renew its threat of sanctions on Yugoslavia, if the Slobodan Milosevic government fails to end police violence in the region.

The Prime Minister of the self-declared government of the Kosovo Albanians, Bujar Bukoshi, says it is imperative that U-S policy-makers recognise that the province is already in its first phase of war.

But reacting to reports that NATO is considering sending troops to neighbouring Albania and Macedonia, Bukoshi says the move could have dramatic consequences.

SOUNDBITE: (Albanian - English translation)

"Yes, we have heard it was a strong statement. But I think that the problem isn't surrounding Kosovo - on the surrounding borders - and the effect that could be created is a boiling pot ... which will explode."

SUPER CAPTION: Bujar Bukoshi, Kosovo leader

In Luxembourg on Thursday, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ministers ordered beefed-up assistance to Albania and Macedonia to prevent the violence in Kosovo from spilling over into a wider Balkan conflict.

NATO Ministers also instructed the alliance's military planners to consider possible troop deployments into Albania and Macedonia in case the other measures fail.