Source: The New York Times, photo: Yahoo
A recent plan by Jared Kushner to invest $500 million in rebuilding a prominent location in Belgrade, Serbia, bears striking similarities to earlier interest expressed by Donald J. Trump over a decade ago, a review of the project reveals.
The agreement between Kushner’s investment firm and the Serbian government would grant a 99-year lease for developing a luxury hotel, apartment complex, and museum on the site of the former Yugoslav Ministry of Defense headquarters in Belgrade, which was bombed by NATO in 1999.
Back in 2013, even before his presidential aspirations, Trump had shown interest in developing a luxury hotel on the same site. However, the project didn’t materialise before his presidency, during which he vowed not to pursue new foreign deals.
During the Trump administration, Richard Grenell, appointed as a special envoy in the Balkans, advocated for a similar plan to rebuild the Defense Ministry site in partnership with Serbia and the United States. Grenell, now collaborating with Kushner on the Belgrade investment, had previously pushed this agenda while serving as an American diplomat.
While both Kushner and Grenell deny prior knowledge of Trump’s interest in the site, their involvement in the current project raises concerns about conflicts of interest. As the Trump administration’s foreign policy figures, their engagement in business ventures in regions of their diplomatic service echoes past controversies.
Kushner confirmed his firm’s pursuit of the deal, emphasizing transparency and legal compliance due to his high-profile position. The proposed project in Serbia is part of a larger initiative including luxury real estate projects in Albania.
The potential conflicts of interest inherent in such ventures underscore the complex interplay between public roles and private interests, especially in the context of ongoing political ambitions.
Editor: Andreea Gudin
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