30.09.2014.

Apartments for members of the defence system

Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic handed over today at the Great Warrior Hall of the old general Staff keys to 30 apartments at “Stepa Stepanovic” residential area, and to 9 apartments to interested parties of the Fund for Social Insurance of Military Insured.

Minister conveyed his pleasure that he had the opportunity to hand over the keys in person, because, as he pointed out, he knows how much that means to the families that had waited for their own home for years.

- I have to stress that we will certainly do much more in the next period to end all current litigations and hand over the apartments we have to our members – Gasic said. He reminded that, since July 2012 until today, the Ministry of Defence has handed over 1081 apartments, not counting the apartments awarded through the Fund for Social Insurance of Military Insured and subsidy residential loans. Gasic then said that such trend will be continued.

By the base contract with the Building Direction of Serbia, Ministry of Defence received 723 apartments at “Stepa Stepanovic” residential area. Another 56 apartments were acquired on reimbursement for arranging city construction terrain and business and garage facilities in this area, which makes a total of 779 residential units. So far, 682 apartments have been inhabited.

For the concessionary location of “Vojvoda Stepa Stepanovic” barracks, 153 apartments ready for moving in have been provided for the need of SAF and MoD members in Nis, Cacak, Valjevo, Gornji Milanovac, Prijepolje and Vranje.

At the Fund for Social Insurance of Military Insured there are currently 588 residential interested parties, 54 of which are for apartments and 534 for the sum of 20,000 euros. The Fund for Social Insurance of Military Insured has so far handed over 360 apartments, and 1,424 families have been given 20,000 euros for solving the residential issue.

Answering press inquiry about plans for a more massive construction of apartments for the Military and the Police that was announced by the Prime Minister last year, Minister Gasic said that there is a plan to build at the area of military facilities in Zemun by a similar principle as in “Stepa Stepanovic” and that he had already had conversations on the matter with the Director of the Building Direction of Serbia.

Minister also mentioned that the solution to proprietary legal relations concerning certain realties in various cities in Serbia is yet ahead and that there is a large number of illegally inhabited apartments in Ministry’s ownership that could be given to interested parties in accordance with laws and valid regulations.

While answering a press inquiry about announcements of signing the Individual Action Plan with the NATO and the public’s reactions to it, Gasic said that those who criticize this contract signed all contracts with the NATO in 2006. According to him, Serbia will fulfill its commitments of the Partnership for Peace and of the proclaimed military neutrality by developing good relations with partners in the East and in the West.

Addressing a press inquiry about preparations for the military parade on October 16, Minister Gasic said that the military units have been preparing for this activity for a long time, but that the public has just recently heard of it. According to him, the Armed Forces work together with the city government on the preparation of the military parade which has not been held since 1985. The 70th jubilee of liberation of Belgrade in WWII and the centenary of the beginning of the Great War are a chance for the Armed Forces of Serbia to make a defile in front of their citizens. He announced that all allies who participated in Belgrade liberation will be invited to the celebration.