The controversy in Serbia for the construction of a Trump hotel in a place bombarded by NATO in 1999

Not only because the company is American, but because its promoter is Jared Kushner, better known for being Donald Trump's son -in -law, and because Trump Tower Belgrade will be called.

While there has recently been an important turn in history – which doubts the project – the serbian government's decision to sign the agreement has not been quite surprising.

Before becoming president of the United States in 2016, Donald Trump himself had expressed interest in building a hotel in that same place.

The project also conforms to a Serbian government policy that, according to the opposition, seeks to allow foreign investors to benefit from public buildings.

Among the examples mentioned is the Belgrade Waterfront residential project, built by Emirati developers on land owned by Serbia railroads.

Where there were oxidized cars and abandoned platforms, there is now a shining shopping center, elegant restaurants and the Belgrade tower, 42 floors and a curiously bulky silhouette that is not liked by everyone.

Anyway, it was an industrial land in disuse, not an icon of the city center. The project at the former headquarters of the Ministry of Defense is a completely different proposal.

Not only because it currently works as a memorial to the victims of the 1999 bombings, but because it is also a visual reminder of why the vast majority of Serbs oppose NATO and sympathize with Russia.

In that context, give an American developer a 99 -year lease contract in that place – supposedly at no initial cost – is a bold movement.

But the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, does not apologize: “It is important to overcome the 1999 load,” he tells the BBC.

“We are ready to build better relations with the United States, I think that is extremely important for this country,” he added.

It is an opinion that arouses a certain degree of sympathy in the International Belgrade Business Community.

Direct foreign investment flows have more than tripled in the last decade in Serbia. But the GDP per capita is still low compared to the member countries of the European Union (EU), standing at just one third of the block average.

To maintain those figures in the right direction, attracting new investors is vital. And although the financial details of the real estate project of the Ministry of Defense have not been revealed, the New York Times He has reported that the Serbian government will receive 22% of future profits.

“For a small and specific market – the former Yugoslavia, outside the EU – all advertising is good advertising,” says James Thornley, former main partner of KPMG Serbia and now a partner of the financial consultant KP Advisory in Belgrade.

“If international weight actors enter, that attracts, generates interest. You are positioning the name and creating opportunities,” he added.

Thornley, who lived in Serbia for 25 years, is fully aware of the sensibilities surrounding the complex of the Ministry of Defense. But he believes that opinions will change once people notice the benefits of development.

“That site is a monstrosity. It should be resolved, but in 26 years nothing has happened. You have to solve it at once,” he says.

But not all involved in foreign investment in Serbia are so excited.

Andrew Peirsson, who was the general director of the Global real estate giant in southeastern Europe, now occupies the same position in IO Partners, focusing on the region.

Peirson admits that the poor state of the Ministry of Defense complex “is not good for the image of the city” and that the agreement to develop the site is “good news, because it shows that the country can attract large investments.”

But it has serious doubts about the way in which the government closed the agreement with Global Affinity.

Peirson states that there was no open bidding process that allowed other companies to compete for the site.

“When it comes to state lands, you should be able to demonstrate that you are obtaining the market value by the site. The usual way of doing so is through an adequate bidding process,” says Peirson.

“If I had been in the United Kingdom, Germany or Hungary – even Romania or Bulgaria – there would have been a process, it would have gone through the opening of the market. In this way, the developers who sought to enter Serbia – or who were already active – would have had the opportunity to buy it themselves,” he adds.

In 2023, Vucic met with Kushner and had an “excellent conversation” about the “potential for large investments and long term,” he says.

Since then, Donald Trump JR has made follow -up visits to Belgrade after Affinity Global announced that a Trump International hotel would be part of the project.

So far, it is believed that the role of Trump JR and the family business is limited to the hotel.

Anyway, doubts have been raised about the fact that the Trump family is doing business while Donald Trump is in the White House. His spokesman has rejected any insinuation that the president is obtaining economic benefits from the presidency.

Peirson is concerned that the nature of the construction agreement can bother companies that have been operating in Serbia.

“If I were an investor who is already investing tens or hundreds of millions in the country, I would feel bad for not having the opportunity,” he says.

Both global affinity and the Serbian government did not respond to requests for comments on how the agreement was negotiated or on whether or not there was an open bidding process.

Then there is the question of whether there should be a commercial development in a place that remains architectural and historically relevant.

The buildings were originally built to receive visitors to the capital of the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia by Josip Broz Tito (1953-1980).

The architect Nikola Dobrovic created two structures on each side of Nemanjina Street that seen together they shape a door.

The design also evokes the contours of the Sutjeska gorge, the site of the decisive victory of the Yugoslavs over the Nazis forces in 1943, and in 2005 the buildings were granted the status of protection under the laws of Cultural Heritage of Serbia.

“No serious city would build a modern future demolishing its historical buildings and cultural monuments,” says Estela Radonjic Zivkov, former sub -director of the Institute of the Republic of Serbia for the protection of monuments.

“For Serbia to progress, he must first respect his own laws and cultural heritage. According to Serbia law, it is not possible to revoke the protection of this site,” he adds.

When it seemed that the fate of the buildings was determined, Serbian prosecutors against organized crime took a turn worthy of a Hollywood thriller.

The Police arrested on May 14 the official who had given green light to eliminate the status of protection of the Ministry of Defense complex.

Prosecutors said Goran Vasic, interim director of the Institute of the Republic for the protection of cultural monuments, admitted to having invented the expert voice that had been used to justify the change of status.

For that reason, Vasic faces charges for abuse of charge and for falsifying official documents.

This has been contributed by those who oppose the project as evidence that Kushner received a preferential treatment, although the Serbian government denies it.

At the moment, it is not entirely clear where this situation leaves the Global Affinity project.

The repeated efforts to conduct an interview with the company have not been successful, although the company issued a statement repeating that Vasic had no “connection with our company.”

In addition, they added that “they will review this matter and determine the next steps” to follow.

Vucic, meanwhile, denies that there is a problem with the project. During a meeting of European leaders in Tirana, Vucic said that “there was no falsification.”

Even so, it seems that the shattered facade of the Ministry of Defense will remain unchanged, at least for a while.

Anyway, thanks to the relationship that this real estate project has with Trump, it will be a topic of conversation for a long time for those who visit Belgrade.

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