Serbia NATO Envoy Commits Suicide

Branislav Milinkovic

The Serbian ambassador to NATO has died after jumping from a platform in an airport car park in the Belgian capital Brussels, media reports say.

The Serbian foreign ministry confirmed that Branislav Milinkovic, 52, had died, but did not give details. It paid tribute to his work.

Media reports said he jumped on Tuesday night in the presence of Serbian officials who had arrived in Brussels for diplomatic talks.

Serbia is not a member of the alliance.

The incident happened at around 18:00 (17:00 GMT).

Emergency services were called to the scene, but were not able to revive Milinkovic, sources at Brussels airport said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Milinkovic had seemed "completely normal, talking to journalists in the corridors of NATO," a Serbian journalist in Brussels told the AFP news agency.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a statement that he was "deeply saddened" by the news.

"Ambassador Branislav Milinkovic was a highly respected representative of his country and will be missed at NATO headquarters," Rasmussen said.

source: Thisdaylive