World Heritage Centre of UNESCO at it’s 40th meeting in Istanbul expressed serious concerns about the future of the region of Ohrid, due to the numerous infrastructure projects that have been proposed, confirming that they would probably cause a significant and potential impact on the outstanding universal value of the region of Ohrid.
Following the decision of the World Heritage Centre, several environmental activists launched a campaign “Vredno e!” meaning “It matters!” and yesterday an online petition was launched to preserve the only location under UNESCO in the country. The petition has been signed so far by 16,167 people demanding the government withdraw their intentions for the realization of projects, including the expressway Ohrid – Pestani through Galichica, the ski center on Galichica, the new elite neighbourhood in Studenchishko swamp and the tourist development zone in Ljubanista.
“We all have the right and the duty to preserve this heritage and pass it on to future generations, not only in Macedonia, but also the next generations of the world. So we started the campaign, demanding a moratorium on these destructive projects and full implementation of the law on the management of natural and cultural heritage in the region of Ohrid, “reads the online petition.
