Three countries seek UNESCO status for Prespa Lake
Greece, Albania and North Macedonia are moving to revive a joint effort to secure UNESCO World Heritage status for Lake Prespa, a major cross-border natural and cultural site shared by the three countries.
The initiative, originally launched by Greece in 2014, has received support from the European Union, which has agreed to finance initial studies for the proposed nomination.
Ministers to meet in Prespa
The culture ministers of Greece, Albania and North Macedonia are due to meet Friday at the Prespa municipal hall to discuss the next steps.
Greece’s Lina Mendoni, Albania’s Blendi Gonxhja and North Macedonia’s Sedat Sulejmani will attend the meeting, along with Michalis Rokas, head of the EU delegation in North Macedonia.
Rokas said the EU’s involvement includes funding for the initial studies, while also highlighting the broader significance of cooperation between the three neighboring countries.
Prespa Mayor Giorgos Stergiou said the municipality was ready to support the initiative.
Albania’s culture minister said UNESCO recognition could increase international attention on the region, strengthen efforts to protect its heritage and create opportunities for sustainable development and higher-quality tourism.
Natural and cultural heritage
Prespa was added to UNESCO’s tentative list in January 2014 as a potential mixed natural and cultural heritage site.
The proposed nomination highlights the area’s rich biodiversity and wetlands, alongside Byzantine and post-Byzantine monuments, including hermitages built into the steep shores of the lake.
Cross-border cooperation
Greece, Albania and North Macedonia have previously cooperated on protecting the Prespa ecosystem.
The three countries agreed on joint environmental efforts at trilateral prime ministerial meetings in 2000 and 2009, contributing to the establishment of the Prespa transboundary park.
However, cooperation and the UNESCO initiative later lost momentum amid wider political tensions in the region.
Prespa already has international protection
The Prespa wetland is already protected under several international and European frameworks, including the Ramsar Convention and the Natura 2000 network.
The renewed UNESCO effort would seek to bring the lake’s natural environment and cultural heritage under a single international recognition involving all three countries.
Source:Kathimerini
