"My Government continues to believe that Belgrade authorities bear primary responsibility for what has happened in the former Yugoslavia during the past three years," she said.

It was not the first time, she said, that a suspect had vanished after the Belgrade authorities were asked to make an arrest.

Ms. Del Ponte passed the information to the Belgrade authorities.

About 15,000 of the estimated 150,000 Krajina Serbs were sent by the Belgrade authorities to Kosovo.

In September 2006 an arrangement was made with Belgrade authorities to bring one tram for trial, but the arrangement failed.

Today, General Mladic is lurking in Serbia, right under the noses of the Belgrade authorities.

This call from Tirana could lead to friction with the Belgrade authorities.

"We're very happy to see this happen," the diplomat said, adding that the Belgrade authorities "have had a direct role in this."

It has also urged the Belgrade authorities to begin a dialogue with the Kosovo Albanians in the presence of a third party.

This morning the American soldiers turned up on Yugoslav television looking bruised and exhausted, captives of the Belgrade authorities.