E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
AFP - Getty Images
Serbian Ambassador to NATO Branislav Milinkovic, seen at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Dec. 14, 2006, was described as a "skilled diplomat" and "an intellectual."
BRUSSELS – Serbia’s ambassador to NATO jumped to his death from a multi-story building in Belgium, officials said Wednesday.
Brussels prosecutor's office told Reuters that they “can be sure that it was a suicide, therefore we are not investigating any further."
However, Serbia said it was investigating the death of Branislav Milinkovic, 52, which happened at a parking garage at Brussels airport during a conference of NATO foreign ministers.
A Serbian Foreign Ministry official, who asked not to be named, said they were “shocked.”
"We have no clues about what could prompt Milinkovic to do that. He was a good man," the official said.
'A noble man'
The ministry praised him as a distinguished diplomat and jurist who would be "remembered as a skilled diplomat, an intellectual and a noble man."
Serbian tabloid newspaper Kurir reported that Milinkovic jumped about 30 feet in the presence of Serbia's assistant foreign minister for security policy, Zoran Vujic.
Serbia inches closer to European Union candidacy
A diplomat described the death to The Associated Press, saying she had spoken to a member of the delegation who saw what happened.
She said Milinkovic was chatting and joking with colleagues in the garage when he suddenly strolled to the barrier and jumped.
Milinkovic was a former author and activist who opposed the authoritarian regime of Serbia's former strongman, Slobodan Milosevic.
According to diplomats and acquaintances, he was outgoing, had a warm sense of humor and worked to keep good ties with ambassadors from other ex-Yugoslav countries.
West watches nervously as ex-Milosevic aide becomes Serbia's new PM
But Milinkovic had mentioned to colleagues at diplomatic functions that he was unhappy at living apart from his wife, a Serbian diplomat based in Vienna, and their 17-year-old son.
He was appointed ambassador to NATO in 2009 but had already been based in Brussels since 2004 as an envoy from the now defunct state union of Serbia and Montenegro.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen was "deeply saddened by the tragic death of the Serbian ambassador," an alliance spokeswoman said.
James Appathurai, NATO deputy assistant secretary general for political affairs, said Milinkovic was “deeply respected here and very well liked.”
“He did a very professional job … there are really no good words to say things like this but certainly he will be missed here on a personal basis and on a professional basis as well,” he said.
“We have absolutely no information beyond what is in the media and what the police reports,” he added. “NATO had no contact, no personnel at all involved in this so we were very, very, as I said, surprised and shocked.”
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More world stories from NBC News:
- Sex mobs target Egypt's women
- Researchers: North America least likely region for terrorism
- Africa's lion population plummets, study finds
- Supporters of Islamist president push Egypt to tipping point
- North Korea pays tribute to Kim Jong Il's 'threadbare' parka
- ANALYSIS: Egyptians warn Morsi is no friend of US
- Bread and expired milk: School lunch scandal sparks outrage in China
- Experts: Antarctica, Greenland ice melting into sea
Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
very odd story. something just feels strange about this.
Agreed. Someone is chatting and joking and just strolls over and jumps from a parking garage? Odd, strange, unusual...lots of words to describe this.
prob if enough people agree that there is more here than meets the eye, this story wont be up long.
"Jumped" ......cough...bull$h--..cough, cough....
Did he also shoot himself twice in the head before jumping?
Interesting...very interesting.
Spies like us.
Does anyone see the similarity between this death and Tony Scott?
I will risk a time out as well and throw the red BS flag out onto the field. A guy missing his wife and kids decides to "fly" home from a parking garage?? Put a couple of real investigators on this and find out the truth.
Sounds very fishy. He does not look like the type that would do it, he looks like an idealist that probably did it for a cause.Probably he knew too much. There are so many strange suicides- James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy, the guy in Clinton administration, Jack Ruby died suddenly of cancer after killing Oswald so that truth would not be known . I am sure there is a lot more to it.
@Joe, are you really that stupid. Jack Ruby had been seeing a Dr about his cancer before he pulled the trigger on Oswald. Do some research before shooting off a bunch of hot air.
SallyAnn - you beat me to it lol. Sorry Joe, Ruby died in 1967. He lived for four years in jail after killing Oswald in 1963. That's not really dying suddenly of cancer.
Lisa, its not that. Once diagnosed with cancer he died within a few days. Its impossible to die from that kind of cancer given its development stage in such a short time. He was murdered. No autopsy was allowed. The one death you should be looking into is that of the only reporter to have had direct access to Ruby after Oswalds murder. That person is Dorothy Kilgallen. She interviewed Ruby and then told friends that she was going to blow the lid off the case.
"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep...."
- Telefon
Sounds like the Serb hardliners are making another push (no pun intended) to take full control again. :/
Seems like a murder.
Jumped 30 feet, eh? My house is about 30 feet tall at the highest point and I doubt I would immediately die if I jumped. Probably a few broken bones or maybe a broken neck of which death could occur. Something smells fishy about this story. He looked like a good looking guy and was smart. So why jump in the first place. Maybe there is more to the story. From 30 feet his body would not be disfigured so an autopsy should tell something about what happened. The poor folks that jumped from the WTC had no bodies left to examine but then we all know why they had to jump. Jumping from a height just seems like a bad way to commit suicide. Of course a .44 to the head is pretty bad too. I used to think how messy a death when I was flying my Cessna 172 and would put her into a shallow dive from about 3500 above ground level. Hugh Hefner has it right. The best way to die is while making love to a 26 year old blond bimbo when you're about 92 years old. Hef is one fart smucker.
"Ok... guys dead; case closed. Nothing to see here people... Move along... nothing worth looking into..."
The country is gripped, like many nations in the region, into a regime-changing civil war. Is it not worth finding out:
a) what let him to his death?
b) had anyone helped him?
c) who BENEFITS from his death
He fell down....onto some bullets
I'm sure in the next few days, the news folks are going to keep digging until they find the reason for his jumping... And be sure, there was a reason...
Go get them, you bloodhounds...!!
I have some property in NY, its a bridge. It just happens to be for sale. Interested?
"She said Milinkovic was chatting and joking with colleagues in the garage when he suddenly strolled to the barrier and jumped."
"I told the judge, I said, 'Yeah, I know, I was just drinking my latte when I walked over and picked the baby up and threw him in the woodchipper. I mean wtf did I do that for?' and shrugged, then the judge and I just started laughing."
if authorities in the USA said that is was a suicide i would mostly agree.. BUT in other countries , i would reconsider..
Mental stability? Whoops no check on that box.
They are Positive that he jumped on his own accord..Who told them that?? The 3 guys who came down from the roof after he fell???
My best guess is that he knew something that would incriminate himself during these tumultuous times.
So very sad !!
HE WAS PUSHED and Prosecutor knows it ?
He knew something that would expose a high level politician or MOB Leader...................
What did he do or know that we don't?
Wow they aren't even trying to be clever in this coverup. Wonder why they thought people would buy this story.
Maybe being blackmailed for having kinky sex with a certain 'Paula' from NC who needs dough for lawyers.
Luckyboy (post #18) you may be correct.
As reported: "Milinkovic jumped about 30 feet in the presence of Serbia's assistant foreign minister for security policy"
Whereas the truth is probably: "Milinkovic was pushed by Serbia's assistant foreign minister for security policy"