29.12.2010.

Minister Sutanovac and SAF CHOD LTG Miletic visit Kraljevo

Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac and Serbian Army Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Miloje Miletic, accompanied by Commander of Land Forces General-Lieutenant Dikovic, commander of the Second Brigade of the Army Brigadier General Dusan Stojanovic, Head of Raska district Matija Mijatovic and Mayor of Kraljevo Ljubisa Simovic, today visited the unit of the Kraljevo garrison engaged to provide relief to the victims of the earthquake.

The Minister and General Miletic began their visit by inspecting the progress of the reconstruction of accommodation facilities of the 29th logistics battalion and 27th mechanized battalion in “Jvan Kurusla” barracks, which suffered severe damage. The Minister was acquainted that the members of the Second Brigade began immediately after the earthquake to restore and renovate the facilities. The most critical phase of operations is completed, expected to close by July 1 next year.

In his press statement, Minister said that MoD and SAF were ending a very successful year, unfortunately marked by the earthquake that hit Kraljevo in November 2010 and the recent explosion in Sloboda Cacak arms factory.

Today, we are helping the local people in Kraljevo by participating in the clear-up of damaged buildings, and tomorrow we will participate in the construction of Kraljevo", as minister Sutanovac said adding that not only on civil and private but also military facilities were caused extensive damage. He thanked the local government for accepting the army’s help in an adequate way and is proud of the members of the Second Brigade of the Army which was awarded the Novosti Daily’s annual award Gold Medal for the Collective Noblest Achievement of the year.

In his address to reporters, Sutanovac said that the military is working around the clock in the area Brodarevo, where the pontoon bridge is, because there is a possibility that the river Lim might accelerate its course and endanger those who cross the bridge daily or live in the river’s vicinity.

- The Members of the Serbian Armed Forces have to guard the bridge in order to prevent the Lim river from changing its course and thus endanger people's lives living near the bridge", the minister said, and recalled that members of the Second Brigade had also been engaged in Sandzak, where we built road that for centuries had not been not connected. "Furthermore, we have built more bridges in southern Serbia, the minister added.

Commenting on the recent series of explosions in "Sloboda Cacak arms factory, the Minister pointed out that the investigating bodies are the ones to give a final opinion on what happened at the factory stating that the Ministry of Defence and state authorities were determined to help the reconstruction of the factory.

SAF CHOD LTG Miloje Miletic stated that by adopting new strategic documents the military has finally been assigned a new mission in terms of providing support to civilian authorities in carrying out various tasks which the SAF have on several occasions had the opportunity to perform in floods and earthquake.

"It is certain that SAF would continue in necessary to provide the same support to civilian authorities and upgrade the capabilities to perform such tasks.
The mayor of Kraljevo Ljubisa Simovic thanked all the MoD and SAF members for the all the support the military was providing, adding that this help was in tearing down damaged houses and objects in order to lay foundations for new objects.
Minister visited the house of Miroljub Petrovic who lives in Jarcujak part of Kraljevo, to whom the members of the Second Brigade had helped to renovate the damaged house. The owner thanked the members of the army on this occasion for giving a helping hand, and he is working now on building a new house. Continuing the visit he visited the members of the army who are engaged on demolishing the Public Health Care Building in Kraljevo. In the coming period the main task of the 2nd brigade will be tearing down the severely damaged buildings, where out of 524 houses, intended for demolition, 200 will be run down by the members of 210th engineering battalion.
In the end of this visit Minister Sutanovac talked with the mayor of Kraljevo Ljubisa Simovic.