MOSCOW (AFP) -- Russia's foreign ministry denounced Monday the ""unilateral"" appointment of Austrian diplomat Werner Almhofer as the new head of Europe's security body in Kosovo.

""This decision has been taken by the Finnish presidency, despite opposition from Serbia,"" the ministry said in a statement.
The current Finnish chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) tapped Almhofer to head its security mission in Kosovo last week.
The OSCE currently has around 800 people in Kosovo, which unilaterally declared independence from Serbia on February 17.
However, Moscow does not recognize Kosovo's independence and still considers it part of Serbia.
""The OSCE presidency's practice of acting unilaterally in nominating heads of missions on the ground has sadly become a well-disguised rule,"" the Russian ministry said.
""This decision...risks eroding the confidence of Belgrade and of Kosovo's Serbians in the OSCE mission in Kosovo,"" and threatens interethnic acceptance and the mission's legitimacy, it added.
In the face of Russian and Serbian opposition to Kosovo's independence, the OSCE's mandate there has been extended only a month instead of a year, as has been the case.
Currently Austria's ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina Almhofer, 48, replaces Switzerland's Tim Guldiman.