North Macedonia’s Culture Minister Irena Stefoska and her Albanian counterpart Elva Margariti, on behalf of the countries’ UNESCO national committees, signed Monday in Ohrid a joint statement obliging the two countries to join forces in addressing inherited and ongoing challenges, accelerate activities aimed at preserving the Ohrid Region as one of world’s natural and cultural heritage, protected by UNESCO.
Minister Srefoska called it ‘new chapter in the relations between the two countries in preserving the Ohrid Region’s heritage.”
“Being aware of the urgency of protecting the cross border and world heritage, we signed a joint statement pledging to work on settling the issues,” she stated.
She called on local authorities, the public and the civil society to play their part. “We’ve been following and reacting according to our jurisdiction. There can be no differences between local authorities in protecting the region. We should all work together to preserve the region,” Stefoska said.
The environment ministers of North Macedonia and Albania, Naser Nuredini and Blendi Klosi respectively, also attended the meeting of the officials of the UNESCO national committees.
Minister Nuredini noted that the authorities in the two countries were committed and dedicated to following UNESCO’s recommendations to protect the status of the region as the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
“Border countries have to cooperate because nature and biodiversity know no borders. We have to work on integrated management if we want results,” he said.
Regardless of the outcome, said Zoran Pavlov of the Ohrid Region’s management commission, the UNESCO report and recommendations to inscribe the region in the list of sites at risk is a confirmation that the country has failed to do its work.
“It comes as a result of decades-long lack of dedication to protection of cultural and natural heritage. It’s not the end of the world, it is something that will motivate is to work harder, although we have to be aware it cannot be done overnight,” said Pavlov.
