Kosovo Analyst Appalled by Serbian Minister's Ethnic Cleansing Remarks

Ilir Deda, a senior research fellow at the Kosovar Institute for Policy Research and Development (KIPRED), has strongly condemned remarks made by Serbian Minister Snezana Paunovic, who stated she would have "ethnically cleansed Kosovo" in 1998 if she were Slobodan Milosevic. Deda expressed deep dismay that Paunovic continues to hold her ministerial position, interpreting her retention as tacit support from the current Serbian authorities for such rhetoric.

"She said three times that she would have ethnically cleansed Kosovo, which takes us back to the dark nineties and the hell of the Kosovo conflict and war," Deda told N1. He added, "I am appalled that this person is still a minister in the Serbian Government or, more precisely, that she hasn't been dismissed." Deda argued that Paunovic's statements actively prevent any progress in normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo.

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She said three times that she would have ethnically cleansed Kosovo, which takes us back to the dark nineties and the hell of the Kosovo conflict and war. I am appalled that this person is still a minister in the Serbian Government or, more precisely, that she hasn't been dismissed.

"As long as we are legitimizing the desire for ethnic cleansing, which took place in 1998 and 1999, I don’t see how we can achieve even a basic level of normalcy between Kosovo and Serbia," he noted. Deda highlighted the Serbian government's silence on the matter as particularly concerning, suggesting it reinforces the difficulty of reaching agreements with a Serbia led by figures associated with the 1990s. Minister Paunovic later claimed her comments were taken out of context, but issued an apology to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Djuro Macut.

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As long as we are legitimizing the desire for ethnic cleansing, which took place in 1998 and 1999, I don’t see how we can achieve even a basic level of normalcy between Kosovo and Serbia.