Serbia’s parliament has passed a law which paves the way for a controversial property development led by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in the capital Belgrade.
His firm Affinity Partners has sought to build a luxury hotel and apartment complex on the site of the former Yugoslav Army headquarters.
The ruined building, which was bombed by Nato forces in 1999 during its intervention to stop Serbia’s military campaign in Kosovo, has symbolic value to some who view it as a memorial and symbol of ongoing opposition to the military alliance.
Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic, who has pursued close ties with Trump, backed the plans despite protests and legal challenges.
Last year, the Serbian government stripped the building of its protected status and agreed a 99-year lease with Kushner’s firm, which had set out plans for a $500m (£379.9m) development.
The decision triggered demonstrations and led to an investigation into whether a Serbian official had forged documentation used during the process to change the building’s status.
In a conversation with the BBC in June, President Aleksander Vucic defended the proposal, saying “it’s important to overcome the burden from 1999”.
He continued: “We are ready to build better relations with the US – I think that is terribly important for this country.”
The stalled planning process came to a head on Friday when Vucic’s party – which has a majority in parliament – pushed ahead with a special vote on clearing the site and won.
Opposition politicians have labelled the decision unconstitutional, including Aleksandar Jovanovic, who described it as a “crime”, and told the AFP news agency the landmark would be replaced “casinos and Jacuzzis”.
Meanwhile, centre-left MP Marinika Tepicċ said the government was sacrificing the country’s history “to please Trump”, Politico reported.
The passage of the law has also been criticised by architectural experts, and comes after Transparency Serbia, an anti-corruption organisation, raised concerns about state-backed developments.
According to Serbian media reports pre-dating his first presidential run, Trump previously considered building a hotel in Belgrade.
Last March, Kushner told the New York Times he was not aware of his father-in-law’s reported past interest.
The decision to clear the way for the development comes as Vucic’s government seeks to maintain good relations with both Washington and Moscow.
Serbia has been impacted by both Trump’s tariffs and sanctions on Russian interests in the country, including on its sole oil-refinery, the majority Russian-owned Nafna Industrika Srbije (NIS).
