We are determined that we will starve this limited number of localised extremists from being able to carry out their mischief

Lord Robertson

Fighting continued for the sixth day in the north of the country, with the government sending tanks to the mainly ethnic Albanian city of Tetovo to engage the rebels.

Mr Kerim said that once Nato had achieved its task of cutting off rebel supply lines, Macedonia would be able to fend for itself.

He said: "The Macedonian security forces are able and will be able to take care of the security of our country."

Despite calling up the country's reservists, the security forces have not yet been able to end the violence.

Border control

As Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov prepared for talks with Yugoslav leaders in Belgrade, President Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying that he would back international military action in Macedonia.

Srdjan Kerim: Macedonia will fend for itself

But Lord Robertson repeated that Nato had no mandate to operate inside Macedonia, nor had Macedonia asked it to do so.

He said that Nato would ask its individual members to add to the troops they have in Kosovo to provide more flexibility.

"Nato is committed to tightening control of the border and troops will be put in place to do that," he said.

"The number of troops in the border region will be adequate to the task that is set out and the objective will be pursued with considerable vigour."

But he declined to say how many troops could be redeployed into mountainous and forested border areas where the rebels are operating.

'Taleban in Europe'

Skopje had earlier blamed Western peacekeepers in Kosovo for the escalation of the conflict.

Rebels are occupying several villages above Tetovo

Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski said the West was permitting the creation of "a new Taleban in Europe", and accused the US and Germany of refusing to act against ethnic Albanian rebels attacking targets in his country.

''You can't persuade anyone in Macedonia today that the government of the US and Germany do not know who the terrorist leaders are and what they want,'' he said. ''They could stop them acting.''

US and German forces head the K-For peacekeeping forces in the eastern and southern sectors of Kosovo which border on northern Macedonia.

On Sunday, Tetovo fell under a government-imposed curfew.

A BBC correspondent in Tetovo says that from now on, only emergency services will be allowed to operate at night.

But despite the fighting, residents appear to be getting used to the situation, with some shops and cafes reopening for business.