The Serbian government declared the 1965 building, which was destroyed by bombings, a protected “cultural asset”.
But this factor does not seem to be a problem for the Serbian administration, which, although it does not deny the existence of the project, does not provide further details.
According to the announced plans, the building will be replaced by three large glass towers, located a few meters from the Serbian Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs.
Jasminka Avramovic, 66, clearly remembers the day the building was bombed.
“I was born in the Sanjak district, near here,” says this pensioner. “After the bombing, I came to Sarajevo Street to collect pieces of glass. I still keep them as a souvenir. It was a disaster.”
Avramovic adds: “We need to rebuild it, but we should not give the land to the Americans. They are not our friends. If we have to offer it, we should give it to Russia.”
Twenty-five years later, resentment against NATO remains strong in the country – where atrocities committed by local armed groups are often downplayed.
The number of civilian casualties during the eleven weeks of bombing has not been determined definitively. Information ranges from 500 dead, according to the NGO Human Rights Watch, to 2,500, according to Serbian officials.
Zoran Stosic (83 years old) says, “It is necessary to leave this building as it is, as a reminder of this unpleasant period.” For him, it is more than a luxury hotel, it should be turned into a place of memory. “It is necessary to preserve and preserve these buildings and turn them into a museum. To remind us of the importance of peace so that these things do not happen again,” Stosic told AFP.
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