The Serbian government greenlights contentious property project connected to former President Trump
Serbia's legislative body has enacted legislation that paves the way for a controversial property initiative spearheaded by US President Donald Trump's family member Jared Kushner in Belgrade.
His firm Affinity Partners has sought to develop a premium hotel and housing complex on the premises of the former Yugoslav Army main office.
The damaged structure, which was struck by NATO forces in 1999 amid its campaign to stop the Serbian armed forces campaign in Kosovo, holds significant importance to many who consider it as a reminder and emblem of continuing objection to the military alliance.
The Serbian Head of State Aleksandar Vucic, who has sought close connections with Trump, has endorsed the proposal in the face of public opposition and constitutional objections.
Previously, the Serbian authorities stripped the property of its conservation classification and agreed a 99-year contract with Kushner's organization, which had presented plans for a $500 million construction.
The ruling triggered public gatherings and resulted in an inquiry into whether a Serbian authority had forged papers used in the procedure to change the property's status.
Through a discussion recently, Head of State Aleksandar Vucic supported the initiative, stating "it's essential to transcend the weight from 1999".
He added: "We are ready to build better ties with the US – I consider that is extremely crucial for this country."
The halted planning timeline came to a head on Friday when Vucic's party – which holds a dominant in the legislature – moved forward with a designated ballot on preparing the site and prevailed.
Opposition representatives have labelled the outcome unconstitutional, notably Aleksandar Jovanovic, who termed it as a "violation", and declared the historic site would be replaced with "casinos and spas".
Simultaneously, centre-left parliament member Marinika Tepic stated the authorities was sacrificing the state's history "to appease Trump".
The passage of the bill has furthermore been challenged by design professionals, and follows after Transparency Serbia, an anti-corruption institution, raised concerns about state-backed initiatives.
According to local news coverage prior to his maiden presidential campaign, the former president earlier considered building a accommodation venue in Belgrade.
In March, Kushner told journalists he was uninformed of his family member's reported earlier consideration.
The resolution to pave the path for the project comes as the president's government seeks to sustain positive ties with both the United States and Russia.
The nation has been impacted by both the former president's trade measures and penalties on Moscow's assets in the country, encompassing on its sole petroleum facility, the majority Russian Federation-held Nafna Industrika Srbije (NIS).