Thousands of Kosovo Albanians wait in line in extreme cold weather to pay their respects to  late President Ibrahim Rugova

Thousands of ethnic Albanians have joined long lines in Kosovo's capital for a third day to pay their final respects to the late president, Ibrahim Rugova.

Mourners Wednesday in Pristina filed past the body of the province's president, as it lies in state until his funeral Thursday.

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha praised the late Mr. Rugova for his dedication to peace.

Albanian President Alfred Moisiu, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, United Nations Kosovo envoy Martti Ahtisaari and a U.S. delegation led by the secretary of housing and urban development, Alphonso Jackson, also are expected to attend.

Ibrahim Rugova

President Rugova died of cancer Saturday, just days before U.N.-sponsored talks on Kosovo's future were to open. The talks have been postponed until next month.

Kosovo is a Serbian province with an ethnic-Albanian majority. It has been under U.N. administration since 1999.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.