The United Kingdom has strongly condemned statements by Serbian Minister for Public Administration and Local Self-Government Snezana Paunovic, which included references to the ethnic cleansing of Albanians in Kosovo.

In a statement by a spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), shared by the British Embassy in Pristina, the comments were described as “utterly abhorrent” and said to have no place in today’s society.

According to the statement, at a time when Western Balkan countries are focused on building a peaceful, stable and multi-ethnic future, such remarks reopen divisions from the past and fuel tensions.

The UK stressed that political leaders with responsibility must clearly and unequivocally reject such language.

The reaction also noted that the United Kingdom has taken into account Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s distancing himself from Minister Paunović’s remarks.

Meanwhile, Serbian Minister Snezana Paunovic said that her statement about the “ethnic cleansing of Kosovo” had been taken out of context.

She apologized to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian Government, saying they were “neither guilty nor responsible,” Euronews Serbia reported.

Speaking on Informer TV, Paunovic called it malicious that “only seven seconds from the entire program” were taken out and turned into a political issue.

“This is my story, not a statement. It is unpleasant to explain that this is not the policy of the president or the government,” she said.