The Kosovo government said in a statement on Friday that the presence of Paskas, a member of the army "which committed grave crimes in Kosovo and which has neither apologised nor reformed" was an insult for citizens of Kosovo.
The government said that it had not been consulted or informed that Paskas would attend the ceremony. The decision to invite Paskas was made by the former KFOR commander, General Yves de Kermabon of France, who handed over the post to Giusseppe Valotta of Italy.
The office of Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova described Kermabon's decision as a "political gaffe".
The Democratic Party of Kosovo, led by Hashim Thaqi, said Paskas's presence at the ceremony was a serious act of provocation.