Serbia's parliament has passed a law that clears 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, sought to build a luxury hotel and residential complex on the site of the former Yugoslav army headquarters.
The destroyed building, which was bombed by NATO forces in 1999 during an intervention to stop Serbia's military campaign in Kosovo, has symbolic significance for those who see it as a monument and symbol of ongoing opposition to the military alliance.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who has close ties to Trump, backed the plans despite protests and legal challenges.
Last year, the Serbian government stripped the building of its protected status and entered into a 99-year lease with Kushner's firm, which drew up plans for the $500m (£379.9m) building.
The decision sparked demonstrations and led to an investigation into whether a Serbian official falsified documentation used in the process of changing the building's status.
Speaking to the BBC in June, Vučić supported the proposal, saying it was “important to overcome the burden of 1999.”
He continued: “We are committed to building a better relationship with the United States – I think that is extremely important for this country.”
The stalled planning process reached a climax on Friday when Vucic's party, which has a majority in parliament, advanced with a special vote to clear the site and won.
Opposition politicians called the decision unconstitutional, including Alexander Yovanovitch, who called it a crime and told the AFP news agency that the landmark would be replaced with a “casino and hot tub.”
Meanwhile, center-left lawmaker Marinika Tepic said the government was sacrificing the country's history “to please Trump.” The politician reported.
The passage of the law was also criticized by architecture experts and came after anti-corruption organization Transparency Serbia raised concerns about state-backed projects.
According to Serbian media reports leading up to his first presidential race, Trump had previously considered building a hotel in Belgrade.
Last March, Kushner said New York Times he was unaware of his father-in-law's reported past interest.
The decision to clear the way for development comes as Vucic's government seeks to maintain good relations with both Washington and Moscow.
Serbia has been impacted by both the tariffs and Trump's sanctions on Russian interests in the country, including its only oil refinery, the Russian-owned Nafna Industrika Srbije (NIS).
