Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Abdilaqim Ademi took part Tuesday at the first trilateral meeting on the proposed transboundary protected area "Sar Planina - Korab - Desat" held on Popova Sapka.

The initiative aims at bringing together a wide range of interested participants from the region in order local partnerships to be established as well as a mechanism for long-term transboundary collaboration.

"The Sar Planina - Korab - Desat" area is one of the most important centers of biodiversity in the region with a potential to become the largest protected area in Southeast Europe and one of the biggest in Europe," minister Ademi stated.

He noted that government's initiative to declare Sar Planina a new national park was in line with this common vision.

"Sar Planina is under an anthropogenic pressure resulting in gradual degradation of its biodiversity, which is impossible to be prevented without a cooperation and coordinated action with neighbouring countries," the minister said.

The government, he added, has a plan to develop Popova Sapka in the next four years by building new hotels, ski centers and other investments in amount of 25 million euros, which is in accordance with the procedure for turning it into a new national park.

Representatives of state institutions from Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro participated at the two-day meeting organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

UNEP programme officer Pier Carlo Sandei said the richness and beauty of the area required transboundary cooperation.

The meeting was part of a series of events realised by UNEP with support by Austrian and Finnish governments.

"It's crucial environment protection not to exist only on paper, but also to be realised in the field paving the way for sustainable economic development," Sandei stressed.