European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said on Tuesday in Brussels that she was “horrified” by the statement of a Serbian government minister who said that Kosovo should have been ethnically cleansed in 1998.
“There can only be zero tolerance for such statements. There is no place in Europe for rhetoric that justifies, promotes, or glorifies ethnic cleansing, and I am personally truly horrified that, in this situation, something like this even needs to be said,” Kos stated during a press conference.
Kos was responding to a question regarding comments made by Snežana Paunović, Serbia’s Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, particularly in the context of the European Commission’s strong recommendation to open negotiations with Serbia under Cluster 3. However, the recommendation did not receive the support of EU member states.
The EU enlargement commissioner emphasized that such statements contradict the fundamental principles on which the European Union is built.
“These statements are directly contrary to the values of human dignity, reconciliation — which is greatly needed — responsibility, and good neighbourly relations on which the European Union is founded, and without which the accession process cannot move forward. They are also contrary to Serbia’s obligations within the EU-facilitated dialogue aimed at normalizing relations with Kosovo,” Kos said.
She added that she could only assume the remarks represented the personal views of an individual minister and not the official position of the Serbian government.
“We expect political leaders to act responsibly, refrain from inflammatory rhetoric, and contribute to building trust, reconciliation, and regional stability,” Kos said.
Paunović made the controversial remarks during an interview on TV Kurir, broadcast on Saturday, stating that if she had been in the position of former Serbian President Slobodan Milošević in 1998, she would have “ethnically cleansed Kosovo.”
