Prespa Mayors’ Working Meeting Liqenas, 19 July 2003   (financed by the International Development Co-operation Agency [Hellenic Aid] of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

 

 

 

Saturday, 19 July 2003

 

9.00 – 10.00 am

Arrival of participants from Greece and the FYR of Macedonia

 

10.00-10.15 am

1. Welcome address by the Head of the Liqenas Commune, Mr.Pandi Andoni

 

10.15 - 10.45 am

2. The role of local municipalities in the Prespa Park and especially its Co-ordination Committee
• General discussion
• Strengthening the role of local municipalities in the Prespa Park

 

10.45 - 11.15 am

3. Definition of the exact role of local municipalities in the PDF B project for the Prespa Park area

o        Hosting the project offices

o        Ensuring that the outputs of the project are consistent with the local communities’ priorities

 

11.15 – 11.45 am

Coffee break

 

11.45 am – 12.45 pm

4. Management of Water in the Prespa basin

o        General discussion on the current status of the water resources and present and future needs in the three countries

o        Formulation of a common basic position on the issue

 

1.00 – 2.00 pm

Lunch

 

2.15 – 2.45 pm

5. Setting the priorities of local authorities in the implementation of transboundary strategic planning (Prespa Park Strategic Action Plan)
• Position of each municipality on the immediate needs/ priority issues for the development and protection of their territory

 

2.45 – 3.45 pm

6. Assessment of possibilities for joint activities:

o        Setting up a Bureau for Byzantine Monuments in Aghios Germanos, Greece. Introduction by the Mayor of Prespa, Mr. Lazaros Nalpantidis

o        Question of opening border crossings in the Prespa area

o        Municipal enterprises: Briefing on the Municipal Enterprise of Greek Prespa by the Mayor, Mr. Lazaros Nalpantidis. Discussion on the possibility of future co-operation in this framework

o        Initial discussion on the possibility for developing concrete common projects

o        Transborder events, such as e.g. transboundary sports or cultural events, environmental education, youth exchange

o        Financing of the aforementioned activities through the GTZ programme. Introduction by the member of the Secretariat, Mr. Spase Shumka

o        Financing of the aforementioned activities from other sources

 

3.45 – 4.15 pm

7.       Emergency co-operation and assistance in the Prespa area

o        Briefing on the firefighting co-operation in the framework of the Hellenic Aid project by Mr. Miltos Gletsos, SPP

o        Formulation of a common position on the issue

 

4.15 – 4.45 pm

8. East-West Institute proposal for the establishment of the Prespa/ Ohrid Euroregion

o        Initial position of the three municipalities

 

4.45 – 5.15 pm

9. Conclusions and final remarks

 

 

 

 

1.       The three Mayors expressed their full support to the transboundary Prespa Park process, their wish to see more tangible results that would improve the lives of the Prespa inhabitants, and their intention to participate more actively in the operation of the Prespa Park Co-ordination Committee and co-ordinate their actions. They moreover expressed their willingness to work for the promotion of a spirit of friendship and cooperation, not only between the authorities, but also between the three peoples.

2.       They expressed their support to the opening of new border crossings in the Prespa area, which would allow better and easier communication between the three sides, and decided to work hard and exercise pressure towards this direction.

3.       They stressed the importance of local community participation in the PDF B project for the Prespa Park area, and in this context they reaffirmed their readiness to host the project offices in the respective municipalities and to ensure that the outputs of the project are consistent with the local communities’ priorities.

4.       On the issue of water management in the Prespa basin, the three Mayors discussed the current status of the water resources and present and future needs in the three countries. They reached the common conclusion that water is the most valuable asset of the basin and its quantity and quality should be safeguarded through consistent and complementary management measures in the three countries that would also satisfy the basic needs for water of the inhabitants. To that effect, the basin-wide hydrogeological study that is due to start during the PDF B project should be given special attention and priority, since it will provide the factual, scientific basis on which to decide these measures. They also stressed the need for concrete measures for the protection of the lake water from pollution caused by sewage, solid waste, or run-off of agrochemicals.

5.       They further discussed the priorities of local authorities in the implementation of transboundary strategic planning for the Prespa Park area and concluded that, especially in Albania, attention must be placed on the development of basic infrastructure, such as roads and drinking water, that would improve the standard of living. In all three countries, attention should be placed on the overall improvement of the road network, on the maintenance and renovation of the Byzantine monuments, and on the development of infrastructure that could enable the creation of a joint tourist product, in the form of a boat tour of lake Macro Prespa.  

6.       The three Mayors assessed the possibilities for joint activities that would allow closer ties to be built between the peoples sharing the Prespa basin:

• They specifically discussed the issue of setting up a Bureau for Byzantine Monuments in Aghios Germanos, Greece, that could extend its scope to cover activities in all three countries; they moreover considered the possibility of establishing a mobile exhibition of Byzantine artifacts of Prespa;
• They discussed the possibility of future local authority co-operation through Municipal Enterprises or other forms of co-operation, and decided to assess the legal possibilities for establishing Municipal Enterprises in Albania and the FYR of Macedonia;
• They considered the possibility for developing concrete common projects and organize transborder events, such as folk and dance festivals, sports events, and conferences on agrotourism and ecotourism; 
• They also examined ways to finance the aforementioned activities through the GTZ programme or other sources.

7.       The three Mayors expressed their support to the ongoing activity for the organization of trilateral firefighting co-operation in the Prespa area, supported by the Hellenic Aid Agency, and expressed their wish to establish a joint contingency plan that would effectively combat forest fires that cross borders, as well as natural and/or technological disasters, in the Prespa area.

8.       They also discussed the prospect of establishing a Prespa/ Ohrid Euroregion, and decided to work as a team in order to safeguard and promote the interests of Prespa and its inhabitants.

9.       The Mayor of Prespa, Greece, Mr. Lazaros Nalpantidis, extended an invitation to his counterparts to attend this year’s “Prespia” annual cultural festival on the island of Aghios Achillios.

10.   The three Mayors, finally, decided to establish direct communication links, through the appointment of contact persons in each municipality, to hold similar working meetings on a regular basis, and expressed their gratitude to the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs for supporting this meeting and to the Liqenas Commune for providing warm hospitality.

 

 

 

 

 

1. Mr. Pandi Andoni, Head of Liqenas Commune, Albania
2. Mr. Lazaros Nalpantidis, Mayor of Prespa, Greece
3. Mr. Dimko Toskovski, Mayor of Resen, the FYR of Macedonia
4. Ms. Daniela Apostolovska, Municipality of Resen, the FYR of Macedonia
5. Mr. Eftim Sotiri, Secretary of the Liqenas Commune, Albania
6. Mr. Miltos Gletsos, Society for the Protection of Prespa, Greece
7. Mr. Spase Shumka, PPNEA (Protection and Preservation of the Natural Environment in Albania), Albania
8. Ms. Aferdita Ponari, Prespa Park Communication Officer
9. Mr. Mitro Nedelko, Prefecture of Korcha, Albania
10. Mr. Taqo Kitani, Prespa National Park, Albania