UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has named German diplomat Joachim Ruecker to be his special representative in Kosovo, a UN spokesman announced on Monday.

    Ruecker, 55, will take over as head of UNMIK, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, as of Sept. 1, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

    Ruecker, who currently serves as deputy special representative and head of the economic reconstruction wing of UNMIK, replaces Danish envoy Soren Jessen-Petersen, who completed his assignment in July.

    UNMIK, which was established by the UN Security Council in 1999,aims to provide an interim civilian administration in war-ravaged Kosovo.

    Kosovo has been under UN administration since a NATO-led bombing campaign in 1999 forced the withdrawal of Serbian troops from the province. UN-brokered talks are underway to decide Kosovo's future status. The talks that started in February are under pressure to conclude by the end of the year. Enditem