First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning Izet Medziti met with the Ramsar advisory mission, led by Flore Lafaye, to address the critical issue of declining water levels in Lake Prespa, a protected area since 1996. The mission aims to provide expert advice and recommendations for the lake’s treatment and management.

Minister Medziti emphasized the significant reduction in Lake Prespa’s water level in recent years, posing a serious threat to its ecological system. He identified climate change, water use for irrigation, and underground runoff as major threats requiring urgent and coordinated action. Medziti affirmed the state’s commitment to meeting EU and Green Agreement requirements for nature protection, climate change mitigation, and water protection.

Flore Lafaye, representing the Ramsar Convention, expressed satisfaction with the Ministry of Environment’s increased concern and environmental protection activities. She highlighted the excellent cooperation among North Macedonia, Albania, and Greece regarding Lake Prespa, emphasizing its biological diversity. Lafaye hopes this collaboration continues with increased contributions from the EU, UNDP, and GEF to solve the problem.

The Ministry of Environment of North Macedonia initially requested the Advisory Mission visit, with Albania and Greece later joining the request. Representatives from Albania, Jula Selmani from the National Agency of Protected Areas, and from Greece, Lito Papadopoulou and Vivi Roumelitou, were present at the meeting.

The Ramsar Convention is an international agreement from 1971. In North Macedonia, Lake Prespa with the Ezerani Nature Park was the first protected area in 1996, followed by Lake Dojran in 2008, and Lake Ohrid and Studenchishko Marsh in 2021.