Representing the Albanian Government, the Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation, Blendi Gonxhja and the Minister of Tourism and Environment, Mirela Kumbaro had a very productive meeting at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris with the representatives of the highest World Heritage authorities, such as; Mr. Ernesto Ottone, Deputy Director General of UNESCO, Mr. Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the World Heritage Centre and Mrs. Berta de Sancritobal, Director of the Europe and North America Unit, World Heritage Cultural Sector.
Minister Gonxhja stated that in today’s meeting the parties managed to agree on planning the work to be carried out by UNESCO and the Albanian Government, a cooperation that will serve the cultural heritage in Albania and the World Heritage.
“It was a very intense day at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, where we were very happy to meet the highest level of world heritage leaders and where we stand proud as Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation to be fully tuned, to have an excellent cooperation and a very good programming and planning of all the work that awaits us together, for the benefit of the cultural heritage in Albania and in the world. We agreed on very good technical, but also political work plan and protocol to bring us ever closer to each other in all the challenges that await us for the management, protection and sustainable conservation of World Heritage Sites and Cultural Heritage Sites in Albania,” said Minister Gonxhja.
The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Mirela Kumbaro, stated that today the Albanian side has added another file to UNESCO, that of the Vjosa River.
“Of course, together with the very important files for Albania, which are Butrint, Gjirokastra, Berat, Ohrid, where we have not only cultural but also natural heritage, today we added a new file to our discussions at UNESCO in terms of biodiversity and presented the work done so far for the last wild river in Europe, the Vjosa River, which we are preparing to register in a dedicated UNESCO category, which is ‘Man and Biosphere’. It is all these packages that me and Minister Gonxhja have discussed today with the highest authorities of UNESCO cultural and natural heritage, and with the Deputy Director General of UNESCO, Mr Ottone. The sustainable development of tourism is based on the two greatest assets that Albania has, nature and cultural heritage. We have received this confirmation today here at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris,” said Minister Kumbaro.