22.08.2011.

In Leskovac and Nis 52 apartments for members of the defence system

Minister of Defence Dragan Sutanovac presented today in Leskovac and Nis keys for 52 apartments that were assigned to active and retired members of the defence system

In Leskovac, the minister handed over the keys to 15 apartments and in Nis for 37 flats.

- Ministry of Defence, according to the plan this year will solve about 2000 housing issues around 2000. Today we are in Leskovac and Nis, where we are distributing the keys of apartments that we received in exchange for military real estate which was not purposeful for us, thanks to the agility of the municipalities of Nis and Leskovac – the Minister said in Leskovac.

He pointed out that the Ministry of Defence will provide 100 apartments in the southern Serbia this year.

- Today we are distributing 15 apartments, another five these days, and more than 30 in Nis, and we wish the military members working in the south of Serbia to feel better by the end of the year, and after many years we are in situation to distribute apartments in this area – the Minister said .

Sutanovac announced that early next year in Valjevo, construction of the first 50 prefabricated houses for the members of the military will be completed, which is a new way of solving the housing problems for the defence system members.

Mayor of Leskovac, Slobodan Kocic, said that the illegal tenants in the apartments that have been distributed today left the debt for electricity supply of about half a million dinars, and that the city has paid the debt, and that compensation from them will be claimed in court.

After Leskovac, Minister Sutanovac handed in Nis today the keys for 37 apartments and this is only a part of the total number of apartments for the members of the defence system which was agreed to be exchanged under a contract with the city in October last year.

- I wish to thank the Mayor of the City of Nis and everyone who worked in the city for the Serbian Armed Forces to obtain quality apartments that meet all the criteria. I must say that we intend to cooperate in the future with this city which is very important to us, and where we have stationed the Land Forces and a great part of our units.

Sutanovac emphasized that every year 3.8 billion comes to Nis based on salaries and pensions to military personnel and the retired soldiers, which is a great help both for Nis and for the entire southern Serbia.

The Minister said that the cooperation with the city will be continued and that Nis is an example where good and agile work was done on concluding a contract with the military on the exchange of real estate.

- I wish to emphasize that this exchange occurred thanks to the initiative of the mayor of the City of Nis. Today in Leskovac we have finished the same job. In a large part of Serbia, we have mayors and presidents of municipalities who are agile and who succeed in providing resources or residential areas in exchange for our real estate. But unfortunately we do not have in all cities those who would like to exchange the property in a fair and honest way, but they are trying in a media campaign to practically lower the prices or obtain the property free of charge, which is certainly not our aim and we will not allow that - the Minister said.

He also thanked those in Nis who were waiting for decades for their apartments and they finally settled down. "And that is the most important, to show that we care equally about all the members of the Armed Forces, not only in Belgrade but in all parts of our country," Defence Minister Sutanovac said.

The Mayor of Nis, Milos Simonovic, speaking about the contract with the military, announced that next week there will be announced a call for potential investors on the site of the former barracks Bubanj heroes, which was included by the agreement on the exchange. He said that Nis at the site will obtain a business and residential facility and 21 percent of the total surface area will belong to the Armed Forces, which will mean more than 200 apartments for its members.

Speaking in Leskovac about the situation in southern Serbia, Minister Sutanovac said that there was no indication of instability, but that does not mean that the situation is not monitored with full seriousness. He said that there are no military threats, which is important, but that some extremist groups have voiced today in Pristina and in Kosovo and Metohija.

- In cooperation with the police and international forces, which are responsible for the security in Kosovo, we are working on the prevention of any activity that might endanger the security – the Minister said, recalling that from the very beginning, since he have come as a head of the Ministry, he has been insisting that the KFOR does not reduce the forces in Kosovo and Metohija.

Answering the question of who controls the situation in northern Kosovo, the Minister said that starting from the fact that Kosovo and Metohija is within Serbia, all local governments must abide by the decisions of the Serbian Government and the state leadership.

- There are certain structures to which peace obviously do not suit, making the most of money and the profits in times of turbid water – Minister Sutanovac said.

He added that this is the thing which is going to pass slowly and that the citizens who live in Kosovo and Metohija realized that only peaceful and diplomatic discussions can lead to a secure life for all.

Responding to accusations that the distribution of keys in Leskovac and Nis is a part of the election campaign, Šutanovac said that he is there for people who have been waiting for the apartment for 20 years and that the criticism that it is about the campaign come from those who headed the Ministry of Defence, and did not distribute the keys.

- It is clear that their goal is to minimize this job – Sutanovac said and added that he has never hidden the fact that since he entered the Ministry he has been campaigning to fulfil what he promised.

Asked about the cooperation with Libya, Minister Sutanovac said that "it is our wish to continue our cooperation with Libya and have influence in that country."

- As we have visited Egypt, it is our wish to be present and continue with our cooperation in accordance with tradition and with respect for the Libyan people – the Minister said. "Whatever happened, we have connections with the Libyan people," the Minister of Defence pointed out.

He said that one of the last ideas, in terms of new projects, was the construction of a military hospital in which all the citizens of Libya would be treated. "This is a project that is needed to that country and if there is political will, we will continue with this project," the Minister said.

Responding to reporters' questions in Nis, Minister Sutanovac said that Serbia's participation in international peacekeeping missions increases the capacity of the country and facilitates its position in the international community.

- If you wish to be a part of the contemporary and modern society, if you wish to share contemporary and modern values, then it is necessary that you participate in such activities - the minister told reporters. He said that the agreements with the European Union and Serbia to strengthen its presence in Lebanon and Cyprus are just being refined.

- For the first time in our history, we are going to participate in a peacekeeping mission on the shores of Somalia and in Uganda, where we are going to train the members of the military and the police and the ministerial staff – he said and stressed that this is a big step forward in promoting the Serbian Armed Forces beyond the country borders.

The statements of people who obtained apartments

Sergeant Major Nebojsa Nikolic lived in Vlasotince and travelled each day about twenty kilometres to arrive to work in Leskovac. "With the apartment everything changes for the better, both for me and for my wife and sons Grozdana Alexander and Misa," says Nebojsa.

Happiness is endless also for the Colonel Retired Aca Stamenkovic, who is moving to a new apartment together with his four-member family immediately upon receiving the keys after 19 years of tenancy. "The children are already students, it would be better if it was before, but this is fine," Aca says.

Warrant officer Ivan Miladinovic was homeless for 27 years. "I am grateful to the Ministry of Defence, the City of Nis and everyone who made this a happy day for me and my family. Subtenant's troubles have past and now I may peacefully turn to solving other important issues in my life."

Predrag Stamenkovic has been waiting for the apartment for 27 years. "It is a nice feeling to have your own roof," Predrag said after receiving the keys.

Zorica Stamenkovic simply says that the feeling when you obtain your apartment is indescribable! Especially after 22 years, as she waited with family for the housing problem solution.