The Minister of Environment and Physical Planning of the Republic of Macedonia Nurhan Izairi and the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Albania Lefter Koka, in Korcha, Republic of Albania,had their addresses on the occasion of the inauguration of Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Biosphere Reserve. Representatives of the National UNESCO Committees handed the certificate for designation of the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve to representatives of the Bilateral Committee and Secretariat, as proponents of the activity. The event was also attended by the Vice Prime Minister Niko Peleshi, and representatives of UN missions UNESCO and UNDP, and Mayors and Directors of National Parks.
Pointing out that the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning has supported the process of designation of Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Biosphere Reservesince the beginning, Minister Iazairi added:
-We have done all this in confirmation of our commitment to this rare region, towards its promotion and development and certainly for its sustainability. Today’s inauguration is a special act the value of which will be realized in future, from a historical distance. And exactly for the sake of that historical point of view, I would like to send a message that cultural and natural values that we share are actually our line of connection, our motive to be better and our task to secure sustainable development of the region, and benefit for all of its citizens. In this context, environment can be the key factor of uniting, and we have to take that chance. The transboundary biosphere reserve Ohrid-Prespa is one of the values that we contribute to the world today from environmental, social, economic and tourism point of view.
Nomination of the transboundary biosphere reserve Ohrid-Prespa, which besides protection of natural values and tourism promotion will also contribute to the promotion of products made in the region (to be branded in future and holding the seal of the reserve) was approved by the UNESCO’s International Council for the “Man and Biosphere” Programme on the 26th Meeting held in Joncheping in Sweden in June this year, where it was designated as the 14th Transboundary Biosphere Reserve in the world.
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