Greece, Albania and North Macedonia have signed a joint declaration to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the transboundary Prespa region, bringing together the three countries to protect and promote its exceptional natural environment, biodiversity and cultural heritage.
The three countries’ Ministers of Culture signed the declaration today at a ceremony in the Prespa Municipality’s conference hall. Greece has taken the lead in the initiative, Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said, highlighting the region’s significant natural and cultural assets.
Mendoni described the day as particularly important for Prespa, Western Macedonia and Greece, emphasising the region’s potential to gain international recognition through a joint nomination.
Prespa’s Natural and Cultural Heritage Spans Millennia
Mendoni said the Prespa region offers significant advantages in terms of its natural environment, biodiversity and cultural heritage. Human presence and creativity in the area date back to the sixth millennium BC, creating a historical continuum that, combined with its natural wealth, makes Prespa a distinctive cultural and environmental landscape.
She said the joint nomination could strengthen ties between the three countries and create opportunities for cooperation in protecting and promoting their shared heritage.
Mendoni also highlighted the responsibility that UNESCO World Heritage status would bring, noting that international recognition would increase the region’s profile while reinforcing the need to preserve its distinctive character.
She stressed that protecting both cultural heritage and the natural environment remains essential to ensuring Prespa retains its unique identity.
North Macedonia and Albania Back Joint Nomination
North Macedonia’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Sedat Sulejmani, said Prespa had always formed a natural and historical whole, despite its shores belonging to three neighbouring countries.
He described Lake Prespa’s biodiversity, natural environment and rich cultural heritage as assets that call for coordinated action. He said the proposed nomination as a mixed natural and cultural World Heritage site aims not only to secure international recognition but also to promote sustainable, long-term management that benefits local communities.
Sulejmani said the initiative could turn Prespa into a lasting bridge of friendship and cooperation between the three countries.
Albania’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Blendi Gonxhja, said the region connects the three countries through nature, history and culture. He identified heritage protection, opportunities for local communities and sustainable tourism as shared priorities.
Gonxhja announced that the European Union would provide €2 million to fund the studies required for the UNESCO nomination.
He also highlighted Albania’s efforts to restore the frescoes and improve the lighting at the Church of the Virgin Mary on Maligrad Island, as well as work on the Sterjo Spasse House Museum in Gollomboç.
Albania also aims to develop joint tourist routes, research missions and exploration initiatives showcasing Prespa and Ohrid, alongside artistic, sporting and youth exchanges with neighbouring countries.
EU Funds Studies for UNESCO Bid
Michael Rokas, head of the European Commission’s diplomatic mission in Skopje, told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) that the EU had decided to support the initiative politically and finance the initial studies for the nomination.
He said the studies should be completed within a year at the latest.
Rokas added that the EU supports the three neighbouring countries’ efforts to protect and promote Prespa’s environmental and cultural heritage.
Three Countries Commit to Long-Term Cooperation
In their joint communiqué, the three ministers recognised Prespa as a unique natural and cultural landscape of exceptional value whose significance extends beyond the region.
They said the shared effort to protect and secure recognition for Prespa could serve as an example of constructive regional cooperation, demonstrating how natural and cultural heritage can bridge neighbouring countries and peoples.
The ministers described the declaration as the starting point of a long-term joint effort to secure international recognition for Prespa and establish the region as a model of cross-border cooperation in conservation, sustainable management and heritage promotion.
They also stressed that the initiative should benefit local communities and future generations.
The Mayor of Prespa, who hosted the trilateral meeting, welcomed the three countries’ support and emphasised the importance of involving local residents in the process.
He said Prespa was not simply a landscape to preserve or a museum to maintain, but a living home for people who fish, cultivate beans and apples, and keep the villages alive. He argued that residents would become the initiative’s strongest ambassadors if authorities involved them from the outset.
Officials Attend Trilateral Meeting
The meeting brought together representatives from the three countries, the European Union, UNESCO and the United Nations.
Among those attending were UNESCO representative Sinisa Sesum, Greece’s Ambassador to North Macedonia, Yannis Maloukos, Greece’s Consul in Bitola, Despina Ipioti, Western Macedonia Regional Governor Giorgos Amanatidis and Florina MP Stavros Papasotiriou. Resen Mayor Jovan Tozievski also attended.
North Macedonia’s delegation included Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Besa Oda Murteza and representatives of its cultural, environmental and UNESCO authorities. Albania’s delegation included Ambassador to Greece Luela Hajdaraga and officials responsible for cultural heritage and UNESCO affairs.
EU and UN representatives also attended, including officials involved in cross-border cooperation and the EU4Prespa project.
Following the meeting, Mendoni and Sulejmani were expected to visit the Byzantine Church of St George in Kurbinovo, North Macedonia. The European Centre for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments in Thessaloniki has recently completed conservation work on rare 12th-century frescoes at the church, most of which survive today.
