LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE FLEE KOSOVO

( Editorial: --> 8848 ) ZAGREB, March 11 (Hina) - The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has asked European countries not to return Kosovo Albanians who had been refused asylum back to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, UNHCR spokesman in Zagreb, Andrej Mahecic, told a regular news conference on Wednesday. The UNHCR as yet has not been granted access to certain areas of Kosovo, which is why it cannot make a close estimate about the current local refugee situation, he said. Mahecic said there was no accurate information about the number of Serbs in Kosovo, although estimates amount to 14,000. A large number of people are fleeing Kosovo. According to the UNHCR, around 4,440 people, Albanians and Serbs, had fled Kosovo to neighbouring Montenegro, Mahecic said, adding that the UNHCR had asked the authorities in Belgrade for full access to all parts of Kosovo. (hina) lm mm /mb 111752 MET mar 98