The first group of 12 Chinese peacekeepers completed their 14-month mission in Kosovo and returned home on Monday, said reports from Pristina, capital of Kosovo.

Before their departure, senior officials of the UN Mission in Kosovo held talks with Li Minghai, head of the Chinese peacekeepers, and expressed appreciation for their dedication to " safeguarding world peace."

China sent a total of 19 peacekeepers to Kosovo last year. On Feb. 2, the United Nations awarded them medals for their excellent performance in the mission.

The remaining seven peacekeepers will return to China by the end of July, Li said.

Kosovo is legally a province of Serbia. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1244, it has been a mandated region of the UN and NATO since June 1999, when the 1998-99 war ended.

Source: Xinhua