The Minister of National Defence Mr Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos responded today, Wednesday 12 May 2021, to a topical question of the Athens Β’2 Western Sector MP of the “Μera 25” party Mr Kriton Arsenis with the subject: “The government is planning to grant the 301 Base Factory in Agioi Anargyroi to private individuals instead of the Municipality”.
NIKOLAOS PANAGIOTOPOULOS: “Esteemed colleague, first of all I have to explain myself so that there are no misconceptions. I am not a realtor. I am the Minister of National Defence, the Political Leadership of the Ministry, if you will. This is the fourth time I come here to respond to your questions on National Defence and we spend our time in talks regarding the granting of land utilisation. I feel like a realtor. This should not be my role.
Nevertheless, I must also clarify that when an issue is raised pertaining to the utilisation of the Armed Forces real estate, this is not meant, at least by the current Political Leadership, as a giveaway without certain stipulations to bodies of the Local Self-government, which come vaguely to undertake and request the granting of a parcel of land, without having a particular, well-documented, well-formed, cost estimated proposal regarding its utilisation. That is not how things are done. If that were the case, I would be a bad realtor apart from a bad Minister. But I do not wish to give such attributes to my role.
Consequently, these single subject talks pertaining to the possibility of granting military camps within your electoral district, I think are not in the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Defence. I understand the concern, which is often due to articles which the Ministry of National Defence has never affirmed. Besides, this is not the Ministry’s duty. Meaning to affirm or refute articles with regards to the Real Estate of the Armed Forces.
Basically, on that subject, I have to state the following: The “KOSKINAS” Camp belongs to the National Defence Fund. Currently it is partly active and furthermore necessary for the military service, as a whole, since the 301 Military Base Factory, the Technical Officers Technical Training School and an Ordnance Unit are located within its premises.
Some rumors circulate but neither the Ministry of National Defence nor the National Defence Fund, which grants the land for utilisation to the competent service, the DAFRED (Directorate for the Armed Forces Real Estate Development) so that it can proceed to competitions or granting procedures if there is an integrated and well-documented proposal by a body, know anything about the articles you are referring to. Nor have any negotiations commenced for the selling of part of the Camp to any third parties.
A part of the Camp located outside of its enclosure is being trespassed by the Agioi Anargyroi Municipality and is used, after its reconfiguration, as a cycling track and foot-walk by its residents. It is a noble deed but it would be preferable if it hadn’t been conducted under terms of trespass, but under mutual agreement for this part’s granting to the Municipality. To that end, the National Defence Fund conducted a meeting in its premises, in late 2020, with representatives of the Municipality for the arrangement of the trespass issue. Furthermore, a pertinent letter has been sent to the Municipality since last January, so as to move forward with the process of utilising the said parcel, without having received up until now a response either in writing or by phone.
Consequently, to set the ground rules, if a local Self-government body wishes to utilise, in terms of granting, a parcel of land from the Armed Forces Real Estate, it would be good to submit a proposal, not a general and vague proposal “Give me the land and I will create green sites”. A well-formed and well-documented proposal which will convince the National Defence Fund and the DAFRED that this parcel of land will be put into good use.
There are several examples of land granted to other Municipalities, in other areas of the country, without any framework of conduct like the one I described, which has remained unutilised and it is moreover devalued day by day, simply because the Local Self-government did not manage to finally utilise them. And I believe that we should not operate under these same rules but we should establish some more favourable rules for both sides. The Ministry of National Defence and the National Defence Fund wish to utilise its real estate. You understand that up until now that was the purpose, that was the necessity and the point, however, those who need or request the granting of the Armed Forces Real Estate must at least have a rationally well-documented proposal for its utilisation.
Thank you”.
Rebuttal
During his rebuttal the Minister of National Defence stated:
NIKOLAOS PANAGIOTOPOULOS: “First of all, it is a matter of point of view, to me it is inconceivable to trespass on a private site, but apparently this is not the issue. With regards to the Prime Minister, I would not like to answer on his behalf but on behalf of the Ministry of National Defence, since I have the authority for an issue of granting or not of part of its real estate. So, if I was the Mayor of Agioi Anargyroi and I wanted this land to be granted to me, I would simply express my interest, in some manner, to the Ministry of National Defence, submitting a proposal or seeking what the suitable terms are and then learning that the only requirement is the submission of an integrated well-documented and well-formed proposal pertaining to my aims, my purpose for the utilisation of this parcel of land. Nothing more, nothing less!
From that point on, I established the rules. The land which attracts the interest of a Local Self-government Body must not be essential, must not be active for the Armed Forces. If it is then perhaps an arrangement can be made for some parts of it which are inactive, but it would be preferable if the whole land is already inactive.
I have at my disposal a diagram with the limits of the Camp in the structures located within it. I cannot say more because these images are secret due to military reasons, as you can understand. I conclude that parts of this land have also been trespassed by the Municipality. I am at your disposal to examine them together. However from the aforementioned diagram one can easily discern that there is no space which is not essential to the camp and which could be granted to the Municipality or to any third party. I imagine that you came here to secure a definite answer regarding the existence of articles or rumors for selling of parcels of land to third parties. I am telling you that there are not and the National Defence Fund, which owns that land, knows no such thing, nor does the Ministry of National Defence.
Finally, I would like to remind you that from this particular camp, 21,2 acres have already been granted to the Agioi Anargyroi Municipality for the construction of school buildings and 19,2 acres more to the ERGOSE company for the construction of the auxiliary Agioi Anargyroi station for the Suburban Railway. These are acts which benefit the residents. Are they not?
The Ministry and the competent service are willing to proceed to grants which will benefit the local societies, always within certain rules, because as you can understand, the utilisation of the Armed Forces Real Estate is not an issue for each Minister, but an issue of the National Defence Fund which submits the utilisation data to the competent service so that it can proceed with the competition and that is how the utilisation of real estate is properly conducted. I should also mention that the National Defence Fund answers to the Share Funds, which own these estates per Service. These are the rules under which we must operate.
With regards to the Local Self-government, it only has to express its interest, submitting however an integrated proposal and state the parcel of land for which it is interested. This is the only rule we have established.
Thank you”.
