TIRANA – Statements by Serbian Minister for Public Administration and Local Self-Government Snežana Paunović regarding the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo during the 1998-1999 war sparked a heated confrontation on Monday in the Albanian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, forcing the session to be suspended.
The dispute erupted after opposition lawmakers demanded clarification on Albania’s official position regarding Paunović’s recent remarks.
Democratic Party MPs Tritan Shehu and Albana Vokshi called on former Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Igli Hasani, who now chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, to explain whether Albanian diplomacy would formally respond to the Serbian minister’s statements.
According to Albanian broadcaster Top Channel, the discussion quickly escalated into a verbal confrontation between Hasani and opposition members, with accusations exchanged across the committee room before proceedings were eventually halted.
During the exchange, Hasani dismissed Paunović’s comments, referring to them as “the statement of a foolish madwoman,” while Vokshi objected that, as a serving Serbian minister, Paunović’s remarks could not be dismissed as those of a private individual and required an official institutional response.
The debate intensified as Vokshi accused the Albanian government of remaining silent over the issue, while Hasani rejected the criticism and engaged in a heated exchange with opposition lawmakers.
As tensions continued to rise, the committee chair suspended the meeting.
The confrontation comes amid renewed political debate over statements made by Serbian officials concerning the Kosovo war and allegations of ethnic cleansing, issues that remain highly sensitive in relations between Belgrade, Prishtina and Tirana.
