29.01.2015.
Expert meeting about unused military property
At the Conference Hall of the Central Military Club, the 10th meeting of Local Economic Development Experts Forum was held with the subject “Military property in the function of social and economic growth of municipalities and cities”.The meeting was attended by State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Zoran Djordjevic, representatives of the Ministry of Defence, state institutions, National Alliance for Local economic Development (NALED), embassies, municipalities and cities.
According to Zoran Djordjevic, the theme of the meeting is very important for the defence system and the Republic of Serbia.
- Since the beginning of implementation of the Master Plan project of the Ministry of Defence,
many objects have been transferred “into the hands” of local self-government and private companies. A part of the gained means has been used for equipment for the Armed Forces of Serbia and solutions to residential issue of members of the defence system. Master Plan used to be interpreted in a wrong way, as an opportunity for to easily acquire property, without the inflow of financial means to the Ministry of Defence. You and we are expected to find the modality for all representatives of self-governments to buy properties and for everyone to benefit from it – the state, the resource ministry and the local self-government – Djordjevic said, adding that this form of initiative has been met with “whole-hearted response” because the Master Plan can only be the foundation, and what comes from it can be a good suggestion to all.President of the Managing Board of NALED Vladan Atanasijevic said that, out of 450 attractive and very valuable objects included in the Master Plan, less than the fifth has so far been expropriated, and the rest have not been in function for years and they are decaying.
- NALED recognized the importance of giving special function to abandoned public spaces. We wish to encourage local self-governments to revalue their stands on possible usage of public spaces that are no longer in use, to innovatively transform them and thus open a new developing perspective for the local community. The past practice shows several good examples of cooperation between the local governments and the Armed Forces of Serbia - in Subotica, Kragujevac and Pirot. The largest part of the unused property has been secured for construction of residential objects, and this is why we wish to stress that the potential the creative industries might bring the unused objects should in no way be overlooked – Atanasijevic said.During the meeting, topics about possibilities of commercialization of military property were also presented – procedures and models, and examples of the best practice from the country and the world.
Military property in the Republic of Serbia that the authorities of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Serbia determined is not necessary for functioning of the Armed Forces can be acquired in adherence to provisions of the Law on Public Property and conclusions of the Government of Serbia by which the Mater Plan of managing military property was adopted and amended.
