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| The Minister of Environment and Tourism of Albania Mirela Kumbaro, the Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure of Kosovo Liburn Aliu, and the Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning of North Macedonia Nasser Nuredini. |
Korab-Koritnik Nature Park in Albania, Sharr Mountains National Park in Kosovo, and Mavrova National Park and Sharri Mountains National Park in North Macedonia will soon be part of a cross-border park, the largest of its kind in Europe with an area of over 242 thousand hectares.
On the occasion of International Mountain Day, the interministerial meeting "Nature without borders" was held in Tirana between the Minister of Environment and Tourism Mirela Kumbaro, the Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure of Kosovo Liburn Aliu, and the Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning of North Macedonia Nasser Nuredini.
We see protected areas as providing benefits across borders – beyond their borders on a map, beyond the borders of nation-states – between the societies and generations that live in these areas. These ranges serve as an ecological corridor, which houses a large number of important species of plants and animals, not only at the regional level but also at the European and international level, such as the European green belt. Regarding tourism, we see the protected areas as a very good opportunity for the development of ecotourism in all its forms", said Minister Kumbaro.
"We have these borders in the middle and we have desires for profit from various companies that want to penetrate and build in that area. Our task is to establish rules taking into account the past in order to both develop and use it, but also to protect what is quite valuable. In 2013, we increased the territory of the Sharri National Park to 53,469 hectares," said Minister Aliu.
Minister Aliu said that in addition to the tourist destination of Brezovica, there is a spatial plan to develop other areas of mountain tourism, both winter, and summer, in accordance with the criteria of nature protection.
The Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning of North Macedonia, Naser Nuredini, spoke about a vision that protects the natural values of protected areas, but on the other hand, ensures sustainable management by not turning them into museums of nature, but creating new opportunities for socio-economic development of local communities.
"The natural cross-border connection of the protected areas of the Korab-Koritnik Nature Park in Albania, the Mavrova National Park and the Sharri Mountains National Park in North Macedonia, as well as the Sharri National Park in Kosovo, opens new opportunities for greater protection of flora and fauna, better dealing with illegal actions, better monitoring, greater opportunities for the development of eco-tourism and alternative forms of tourism", said the Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning Naser Nuredini.
This project between the three countries aims at joint cross-border development of nature-friendly tourism, joint cross-border management of the region, joint promotion of special natural and cultural heritage across borders, etc. The meeting was also attended by representatives of UNEP, the United Nations Environmental Program that will support this project. On the other hand, Daniel Pirushi, Director of the National Agency of Protected Areas, explained that within three months, the management committee of the protected area will be established and will start work on this project.