Serbia's parliament has approved a law that paves the way for a controversial property initiative spearheaded by former President Trump's family member Jared Kushner in Belgrade.
Kushner's company Affinity Partners has planned to develop a luxury hotel and housing project on the location of the ex Yugoslav Army headquarters.
The ruined structure, which was bombed by NATO troops in 1999 amid its operation to end Serbia's armed forces campaign in Kosovo, holds significant value to some who see it as a monument and emblem of ongoing objection to the military alliance.
Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic, who has maintained strong ties with the former president, has endorsed the development despite demonstrations and constitutional objections.
Last year, the national authorities revoked the structure of its conservation status and agreed a 99-year rental agreement with Kushner's organization, which had proposed blueprints for a half-billion dollar development.
The ruling sparked public gatherings and resulted in an investigation into whether a Serbian official had manipulated papers employed throughout the procedure to change the building's classification.
In a discussion in June, Head of State Aleksandar Vucic justified the plan, stating "it's important to transcend the legacy from 1999".
He added: "We are prepared to develop improved relations with the America – I think that is extremely important for this country."
The halted planning process reached a climax on Friday when the president's political group – which has a majority in the assembly – proceeded with a special ballot on preparing the site and prevailed.
Rival lawmakers have described the outcome unconstitutional, notably Aleksandar Jovanovic, who termed it as a "crime", and declared the significant building would be exchanged with "gambling venues and hot tubs".
At the same time, centre-left representative Marinika Tepic remarked the authorities was jeopardizing the country's heritage "to please the former president".
The enactment of the bill has additionally been criticised by architectural experts, and follows after Transparency Serbia, an integrity institution, expressed concerns about publicly-endorsed initiatives.
According to local news coverage pre-dating his initial presidency bid, the former president previously explored developing a hotel in Belgrade.
Last March, the developer told reporters he was uninformed of his family member's claimed previous involvement.
The determination to clear the way for the construction occurs as Vucic's cabinet attempts to sustain favorable relations with the two America and the Russian Federation.
The country has been affected by each of the former president's tariffs and restrictions on the Russian Federation's assets in the nation, comprising on its sole fuel processing plant, the mainly Russian Federation-held Nafna Industrika Srbije (NIS).
