The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) has reported that, on 29 March 2013, a transboundary Agreement of Cooperation was signed between three environmental NGOs from the three countries sharing the Prespa lakes, namely Albania, Greece, and the Republic of Macedonia.
3 April 2013: The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) has reported that, on 29 March 2013, a transboundary Agreement of Cooperation was signed between three environmental NGOs from the three countries sharing the Prespa lakes, namely Albania, Greece and Macedonia.
Stressing the importance of civil society cooperation for an integrated management of the Prespa Lakes Basin, the representatives of the Macedonian Ecological Society (MES), the Association for the Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA), and the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) officially launched their environmental network for the region, Prespa Net, in the Prespa village of Laimos, Greece.
The cooperation agreement is based on the recognition that an inclusive and cross-border approach is more efficient than the isolated management of the lakes. According to the Ramsar Secretariat, Prespa Net will: fill the gaps through synergized activities; enhance cooperation among the different stakeholders involved in the management of the Prespa Lakes Basin; improve information flows on ecological and sustainable development issues affecting this region; and raise a voice for adequate policies needed in the area.
In the upcoming months, Prespa Net will launch its first common activities. [Ramsar Press Release] [Society for the Protection of Prespa] [IISD RS Story on Prespa Lake]