The Minister of Tourism and Environment, Mirela Kumbaro, has announced the start of work on the inclusion of Vjosa in the list of world assets protected by UNESCO, under the “Man and Biosphere” program.

Kumbaro had a meeting with the UNESCO delegation that arrived in Tirana, which will follow the preparation of the application file.

“I was happy to host the UNESCO team at the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, with whom we are starting the work for the inclusion of Vjosa in the list of world assets through the “Man and Biosphere” program. It is this global program that aims to create a scientific basis to improve the relationship between people and the nature they live in, for sustainable development that protects the environment. Intensive work awaits us in the preparation of the application file, which the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and the National Agency of Protected Areas will submit to UNESCO within this year, to give another international passport to the queen of European rivers and to add another Albanian jewel to the UNESCO list”, says Kumbaro.

Vjosa was declared a National Park in March 2023. Earlier, the Director General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay visited Vjosa at the invitation of the Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro in order to include it in the list of sites protected by UNESCO, evaluating it as one of the last wild rivers in Europe and the first National Park of an intact river.

The preparation of the application is a long process according to the standards of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and Albania will be assisted by the “Man and Biosphere” program team.