President of Serbia Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 stated that the area where the General Staff building is located is not being sold but will, as he said, be leased for 99 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnlike them, who sold the Mar\u0161alat and the Guard Command, we are not selling this. We are leasing it for 99 years. At the same time, we retain the right to use that land and property, and to receive income and profit from the project that will be built there \u2014 22.5 percent over the next 99 years,\u201d Vu\u010di\u0107 said for TV Pink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that in this project, Serbia provides the land, while the American partner will invest at least 650 million euros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA huge investment for our country. A fantastic space where our people will enjoy themselves. Are you perhaps enjoying the Mar\u0161alat? But this one \u2014 everyone will be able to enjoy it. Both foreigners and our people. Our people will be able to enjoy it. When you see what it will look like, it will raise the value of everything in Belgrade. It will attract more tourists. The 650 million euros they will invest, along with their \u2018know-how,\u2019 will immediately be worth over a billion. Which means that right away, for something we did not sell, we will have more than 220 million dollars in value,\u201d Vu\u010di\u0107 said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also compared the size of the land where the Mar\u0161alat was located to that of the General Staff, noting that the former government sold 4.2 hectares, while the plots where the General Staff is located cover 2.9 hectares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stated that the previous government decided to declare the General Staff a cultural monument when they chose to sell the Mar\u0161alat and the Guard Command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt that time, they decided to declare this a cultural monument, to blind the public, to say, \u2018look, we\u2019ll preserve this ruin, since we\u2019re giving away that beautiful property over there of 4.2 hectares,\u2019\u201d Vu\u010di\u0107 said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n