ATHENS — The Hellenic Cadastre (Ktimatologio) in Athens is nearly complete, Environment & Energy Minister Kostis Hatzidakis said on Wednesday, while that of the rest of the country is 65 pct complete.

"After 12 years of delays, postponements and court cases, the property register is fundamentally completed," he said, adding wryly that "it took nearly 150 years, but at last Athens has a land registry." This will protect both personal property and the city's assets, which amount to over 1,000 properties, he noted.

Following a meeting at the City Hall, Deputy Environment Minister Dimitris Economou said that 100 pct of the Athens registry and 95 pct of the Attica registry will be available for use by the end of 2022. (Following owners registering their properties, the process includes public reviews and possible corrections before being finalized.)

Officials of the cadastre said that in Athens there are 1,300,000 private owners, who were notifiied either personally or through repeated advertisements in the city.