Trump clan covets military building bombed by NATO in Belgrade

The 1965 building, destroyed by bombings, was declared by the Serbian government as a protected “cultural asset”.

However, this factor does not seem to be a problem for the Serbian administration, which, although it does not deny the existence of the project, also does not provide further details.

According to plans made public, the building would be replaced by three large glass towers, located a few meters from the Serbian Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs.

Jasminka Avramovic, 66, vividly remembers the day the building was bombed.

“I was born in the Senjak neighborhood, near here. After the bombing, I came to Sarajevo Street to collect pieces of glass. I still keep them as a souvenir. It was a disaster”, says this retiree.

“We need to rebuild it,” he adds, “but we shouldn’t give the land to the Americans. They are not our friends. If we have to offer it, then we should give it to Russia,” argues Avramovic.

After 25 years, resentment against NATO is still strong in the country – where atrocities by local armed groups are often downplayed.

The toll of civilian casualties during the eleven weeks of bombing has never been definitively established. Information varies between 500 dead, according to the NGO Human Rights Watch, and 2,500 according to Serbian officials.

For Zoran Stosic, 83 years old, “it is necessary to leave this building as it is, as a reminder of this unpleasant period.” For him, more than a luxury hotel, it should be transformed into a place of memory. “It is necessary to preserve these buildings, conserve them and transform them into a museum. To remind us of the importance of peace, so that these things do not happen again,” Stosic emphasized to AFP.