Serbia’s parliament has passed a law paving the way for a controversial real estate development in the capital Belgrade led by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
His company, Affinity Partners, sought to build a luxury hotel and apartment complex on the site of the former Yugoslav army headquarters.
The destroyed building, which was bombed by NATO forces during its intervention to stop Serbia’s military operation in Kosovo in 1999, has symbolic value for some who see it as a monument and symbol of ongoing opposition to the military alliance.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who has sought closer ties with Trump, supported the plan despite protests and legal challenges.
Last year, the Serbian government stripped the building of its protected status and signed a 99-year lease with Kushner’s company, which had planned a $500 million (£379.9 million) development.
The decision sparked protests and led to an investigation into whether Serbian officials falsified documents used in the process to change the building’s status.
Speaking to the BBC in June, Vucic defended the proposal, saying “it is important to overcome the burden of 1999”.
“We are ready to build a better relationship with the United States,” he said. “I think that is very important for this country.”
The stalled planning process came to a head on Friday when Vucic’s party, which holds a majority in parliament, pushed for and won a special vote on clearing the site.
Opposition politicians have called the decision unconstitutional, including Aleksandar Jovanovic, who told AFP the landmark would be replaced by a “casino and jacuzzi”.
Meanwhile, center-left lawmaker Marinica Tepiche said the government was sacrificing the country’s history “to please Trump,” Politico reported.
The passage of the law has also been criticized by architecture experts and comes after anti-corruption group Transparency Serbia raised concerns about state-backed developments.
According to Serbian media reports ahead of his first presidential run, Trump had previously considered building a hotel in Belgrade.
In March, Kushner told the New York Times that he was unaware of his father-in-law’s past interests.
The decision to pave the way for development comes as Vucic’s government seeks to maintain good relations with both Washington and Moscow.
Serbia has been affected by Trump’s tariffs and sanctions on Russian interests in Serbia, including the Russian-owned majority oil refinery Nafna Industrika Srbije (NIS).
