Kosovo's primier appoints new advisers

Kosovo's Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi appointed three new advisers to his Cabinet including a senior political adviser, a security affairs adviser and one who will oversee gender affairs.

Avni Arifi, who now coordinates government efforts in achieving international standards on democracy, minority rights and rule of law, will also become a senior political adviser, the government said. Ramadan Qehaja, a former Yugoslav army officer, will advise the prime minister on security matters, while Visar Gorani-Gashi will handle gender issues, the AP reports.

Kosovo officially remains a province of Serbia-Montenegro. It has been administered by the United Nations for the past six years following NATO's air war aimed at stopping the crackdown of Serbian troops on the province's separatist ethnic Albanians.

Since then, Kosovo has remained split between ethnic Albanians who want it to be independent and ethnic Serbs who want it to remain part of Serbia.