British News Agency

Kushner’s company, Affinity Partners, aims to build a luxury hotel and apartment complex on the site of the former Yugoslav Army headquarters.

The ruined building, bombed by NATO forces in 1999 during the intervention to halt Serbia’s military campaign in Kosovo, is seen by some as a monument and symbol of continued opposition to the alliance.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, a close ally of Trump, has supported the plans despite protests and legal challenges.

Last year, the Serbian government removed the building’s protected status and signed a 99-year lease agreement with Kushner’s firm for a $500 million (379.9 million GBP) development project.

The decision triggered demonstrations and an investigation into whether a Serbian official had forged documents used to change the building’s status.

The faltering planning process reached a climax on Friday when Vučić’s majority party in parliament won a special vote to authorize the clearing of the site.