Konjufca writes to Kallas over Paunovic's remarks, calls for strong condemnation

Kosovo's Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Glauk Konjufca, has sent a letter to the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, regarding remarks made by Serbia's Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, Snezana Paunovic. In the letter, Konjufca called on Kallas to raise the matter within the framework of the EU–Serbia political dialogue and the country's EU accession process.

Konjufca urged the European Union to issue a clear, firm, and public condemnation of Minister Paunovic's statement and of what he described as the "revisionist rhetoric" it represents, and to formally remind the Serbian authorities that such statements are unacceptable and incompatible with European values and the requirements of the EU accession process.

In addition, the acting foreign minister requested that the issue be addressed as part of the EU–Serbia political dialogue and accession negotiations, so that, in his words, Belgrade would understand the seriousness with which the European Union views such incidents.

He also stated that he would appreciate an opportunity to discuss Paunovic's remarks directly with Kallas, either in person or by telephone.

"Although we take note of the subsequent statements from Belgrade distancing the Government of Serbia from these remarks, we believe they are more formal than a genuine and substantive expression of remorse. Such rhetoric by a minister serving in the current government cannot be dismissed as a mere gaffe. The entire interview was filled with deeply revisionist and hostile content, reflecting a broader pattern of statements that continue to undermine the European Union-facilitated dialogue on the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and erode confidence in that process," Konjufca wrote in the letter, which he published on the social media platform X.

Paunovic's statement that she would have "ethnically cleansed Kosovo in 1998" had she been in the position of former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia President Slobodan Milosevic prompted widespread reactions.

Albanian political leaders condemned the statement, while the European Union stated that there should be no place in Europe for rhetoric that justifies or advocates ethnic cleansing.

For its part, Serbian National Assembly Speaker Ana Brnabic said that Paunovic's remarks do not reflect Serbia's official policy, emphasizing that Serbia's policy is based on dialogue, reconciliation, and cooperation, to which the country remains sincerely and deeply committed.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic also stated that the remarks made by the Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government do not reflect either the policy of the President or that of the Government of Serbia. He also reiterated that it was more than 250,000 Serbs—not Albanians—who were subjected to ethnic cleansing from Kosovo.

Meanwhile, Serbia's Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, Snezana Paunovic, has been permanently barred from entering or transiting through Kosovo.