09.03.2011.

Ministers Sutanovac and Markovic in Kraljevo

Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac, Minister for Public Administration and Local Self Government and Coordinator for Assistance to Kraljevo, Milan Markovic, Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Miloje Miletic, and his associates, visited today "Morava" Airport in Ladjevci near Kraljevo, where the civilian part of the airport is under construction.

On this occasion, Minister Sutanovac said that the Serbian Government, within the policy of a balanced regional development, as well as in the interests of the Serbian Armed Forces and the local governments, have invested to the conversion of the military airport in La?evci, which, in his words, is one of the priorities when it comes to infrastructure projects this year.

The Minister expressed his expectation that the civil air transport is to be established at the airport late in September, with the first flights for the aircraft up to one hundred passengers or transport aircraft of similar capacity. Sutanovac said that there is great interest in airport services, since there are about two million people living in the area of around 70 km. He added that there is a large number of defence industry factories, businesses and tourist destinations in the surrounding area.

The Defence Minister said that a large number of Bosniaks from that area travel to Turkey via the airport in Pristina, and that there is an intention to redirect that traffic to the "Morava" Airport. He recalled that the Turkish Defence Minister visited this airport during his visit to Serbia.

According to the Minister, if there are several commercial flights during one week the "Morava" Airport will be cost effective. He added that from the viewpoint of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces the conversion is important because it brings the rehabilitation of airport infrastructure, improving the operational capabilities of the Air Force.

Šutanovac announced that during the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister Cvetkovic to Turkey, the issue to be discussed will be a joint investment of Serbia and Turkey to the "Morava" Airport. According to his knowledge, Turkey is interested in investing in the airport and road infrastructure on the territory of this region. He underlined that the Serbian Government will find funds for the conversion, that the greater share of resources has been allocated, and that, according to the decision of the Serbian Government, the "Nikola Tesla" Airport will give over certain equipment to "Morava" Airport.

Mayor of Kraljevo Ljubisa Simovic said that the local government expected that the construction of the airport would improve capacities of manufacturing industry and agriculture and expressed the hope that the airport will raise the level of economic development of the entire region.

During their visit to Kraljevo, ministers Sutanovac and Markovic visited the village of Vitanovac near Kraljevo. On that occasion, Minister Sutanovac handed the keys of a newly built prefabricated house to professional soldier Igor Komatovi?, a member of the 2nd Army Brigade of SAF, whose family home was destroyed in an earthquake.

Sutanovac and Markovic visited also the family household Tomovic, in the same place, whose new prefabricated house, the 200th in a row, was built within the reconstruction of Kraljevo affected by the earthquake.

FUNDS APPROVED FOR RECONDITIONING OF "MORAVA" AIRPORT

Serbian Government has approved funding for reconditioning of "Morava" Airport for civilian air traffic, from a part of the NIP funds, from the funds of "Nikola Tesla" Airport, from the credit to support the construction industry in Serbia, funds to finance the works in 2011 and the planned funds. The total value of all the works and equipment, according to the investment programme, amounts to 2 billion and 300 million dinars.

The said amount does not cover the necessary funds for building and equipping the Airport Air Traffic Control building. The Control Tower is being built and equipped by the Air Control Agency from its own resources. About 200 million dinars from the NIP funds have been approved for funding of the construction of auxiliary facilities in the terminal complex.

So far, the major projects have been completed and accepted, and the works on building a boiling station, hot water supply system, power station, power cable, transportation infrastructure and parking lot, water supply system, device for waste water treatment and sewage system, are under way. Planned date for the completion of these works is April 2011. Out of the agreed amount of about 170 million dinars, 115 million dinars have been realised so far.

For the construction of the terminal building and the platform, 200 million dinars have been approved, which was provided by "Nikola Tesla" Airport, while the total funds for that purpose amount to 455 million dinars.