Kosovo has officially declared Snežana Paunović, Serbia’s Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, persona non grata after she stated that, had she been in the position of former Serbian President Slobodan Milošević, she would have “ethnically cleansed Kosovo.”
Acting Minister of Internal Affairs Xhelal Sveçla announced that he had signed a decision permanently banning Paunović from entering or transiting through the Republic of Kosovo.
In a public statement, Sveçla said Paunović’s remarks reaffirmed what he described as Serbia’s long-standing policy of ethnic cleansing against Albanians.
“Snežana Paunović has reaffirmed what Serbia has never abandoned—the project of the ethnic cleansing of Albanians. In our era, this was attempted by her former leader, Slobodan Milošević, also known as the ‘Butcher of the Balkans,’” Sveçla wrote.
He argued that such rhetoric is not new but represents the continuation of a state policy that, according to him, has for decades produced violence, war crimes, and attempts to expel Albanians from their homeland.
Sveçla described the minister’s statements as unacceptable and said they should be strongly condemned by democratic states committed to peace, human rights, and opposition to hate speech and policies associated with past atrocities.
“As Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo, today I issued a decision declaring Snežana Paunović persona non grata, permanently prohibiting her from entering or transiting through the Republic of Kosovo,” he stated.
He concluded by emphasizing that the era of oppression, massacres, and ethnic cleansing against Albanians is over, stressing that Kosovo is a sovereign and democratic state with institutions committed to protecting its constitutional order, territorial integrity, and the security of all its citizens.
Sveçla added that any attempt to revive the ideology of ethnic cleansing or threaten the sovereignty of the Republic of Kosovo would be met with a firm legal and institutional response.
