Agim Ceku, the former head of the Kosovo Protection Corps, became Kosovo's new prime minister on 9 March, following the resignation of Bajram Kosumi. He is the fourth person to hold the post, suceeding Kosumi, Ramush Haradinaj and Bajram Rexhepi.

-Ceku is retaining Kosumi's cabinet, despite the charges of inefficiency which forced his predecessor to step down. However, under an agreement with the ruling coalition, he has the right to make changes if needed.

"All ministers are in a test …their work will be analysed after 100 days," the new prime minister said after his first meeting with the cabinet. The political opposition in Kosovo has already criticised Ceku, arguing that a cabinet reshuffle would replace inefficient or corrupt figures.

Ceku, 44, takes office at a particularly significant time, with talks on Kosovo's future status already under way, and with growing international pressure to show concrete results when it comes to implementing UN-set standards for the province.

"We will concentrate on developing Kosovo's institutions, the prosperity of citizens, political stability, and the implementation of standards," Ceku told parliament. He has also pledged to make minority rights, including those of Kosovo's Serbs, a priority.

Kosovo has been under UN administration since 1999, when a NATO-led operation forced the withdrawal of Serb forces.

Belgrade and Pristina have sharply opposing stances about its future, with Serbia insisting it should retain some form of sovereignty, and Kosovo Albanians saying they will not settle for anything less than independence.

Belgrade has also objected to the appointment of Ceku, a former leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army, who also once served in the Croatian Army during the Croatian war of independence from Yugoslavia.

"My conscience is completely clean," the AP quoted Ceku as saying in response to Serbian charges of involvement in war crimes. "I know I never acted, saw, ordered or did something that violates the customs of war."

The head of the UN administration in Kosovo, Soren Jessen-Petersen, has expressed confidence in Ceku, saying he has "proved to be a good working partner for UNMIK, for me personally, and for the international community as a whole".

Jessen-Petersen said Ceku's commitment to standards implementation, particularly with respect to increasing minority representation in the Kosovo Protection Corps, has been widely acknowledged, including by the UN Security Council.

"I am confident that this same commitment, combined with his leadership and management skills so amply evident in his previous role, will now translate into concrete government initiatives to address the many priorities during this crucial period for Kosovo, including the very important minority issues," Jessen-Petersen said.

Source: Southeast European Times