United Nations

UN chief Ban Ki-moon named the first ever woman to serve as the head of a UN peacekeeping operation Monday, appointing a Norwegian commander to the UN mission in Cyprus.

Major General Kristin Lund of Norway, 56, will replace outgoing Major General Chao Liu of China in mid-August.

Norwegian Major General Kristin Lund became the first woman to head a United Nations peacekeeping force after the was appointed to command a mission in Cyprus.

BELGRADE - Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic stated on Monday during the meeting with UNMIK Head Farid Zarif that Serb participation in the early parliamentary elections in Kosovo-Metohija will depend mainly on the regulations according to which the elections would be organised.

"Serb participation depends on election rules"

BELGRADE -- President Tomislav Nikolić has said that participation of Serbs in elections in Kosovo will depend on the rules based on which the voting will be held.

Nikolić made the comments as he met in Belgrade on Monday with Farid Zarif, who serves as head of the UN administration in Kosovo, UNMIK.

BELGRADE - Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic conferred with Special Representative of the UN secretary general and UNMIK Head Farid Zarif in Belgrade on Monday.

“The IEA did not suggest that Albania broke sanctions on Iran and any report that says otherwise needs to run a correction,” Magdalena Sanocka, a spokesperson for the IEA, said.

Sanocka said its report only mentioned Albania as a temporary destination for an Iranian oil tanker, which eventually unloaded its cargo elsewhere.

"Serbia must bear in mind its interests"

BELGRADE -- Serbia wants to be an EU member and we are aware of our obligations on that path but we have to bear in mind our national interests as well, says Ivica Dačić.

Serbia's first deputy prime minister and foreign minister spoke on Sunday.

BELGRADE - Serbia wants to be an EU member and we are aware of our obligations on that pathway, however we have to bear in mind our national interests as well, Ivica Dacic, Serbia's first deputy prime minister and foreign minister, stated on Sunday.

BELGRADE - Ivica Dacic, Serbia's first deputy prime minister and foreign minister, stated on Saturday that Serbia will pursue an independent foreign policy by the time it becomes a full-fledged member of the EU.

Former Prime Minister Sali Berisha on Thursday called for a parliamentary inquiry into claims that the centre-left government of Premier Edi Rama has imported oil from Teheran, breaking the UN-imposed embargo.

“The government has breached the embargo by allowing imports of oil from Iran, a grave national and international act,” Berisha said during Thursday's parliamentary session.