Rumours that the outgoing Swiss president and defence minister, Adolf Ogi, was to become the next United Nations civilian administrator in Kosovo have proven unfounded. On Friday Denmark's Hans Haekkerup was appointed to the post.

The UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Friday that Haekkerup, who is currently Danish defence minister, would take over the post currently held by Frenchman Bernard Kouchner in mid-January.

Ogi was never officially offered the post, nor has disclosed details of his future career plans.

However, Switzerland has been awash with speculation about Ogi's future since he announced that he was stepping down from the cabinet at the end of the year. The Kosovo post was one of several for which he was rumoured to be in the running.

swissinfo with agencies

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