Controlling and coordinating the waters and biodiversity of the Drin river basin are some of the obligations outlined in the memorandum for joint management of the Drin river basin between Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and Greece.

The memo was signed Friday in Tirana by Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Abdilaqim Ademi and his Albanian counterpart Fatmir Mediu, as well as by Montenegro's Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Velizan Vujunovic, Kosovo Deputy Environment Minister Ilir Mirena and Andreas Andreadakis -special secretary for water at the Greek Ministry of Environment - at a conference "Drin Dialogue - Process of Cross-Border Cooperation for Protection of Drin Basin."

Its ratification means that the countries where the Drin river passes will manage its basin with joint forces, MIA reports from Tirana.

"The memorandum comes as a result of a years-long collaboration between the five countries surrounding the Drin river basin that include the Ohrid, Prespa and Skadar lake and the Drin basin," Minister Ademi stated adding that Macedonia had met all of its obligations involving coordination, cooperation and investment. "Macedonia is prepared to meet all of the conditions envisaged in the memorandum."

"The Drin river allows us to promote positive political willingness for cooperation, which hopefully will result in providing preconditions for sustainable development of the region, taking into consideration that it represents a cohesion of the needs of the states in connection to environment and energy," the Minister stated.

Ademi in Tirana met with his Albanian counterpart Mediu to discuss common pledges for environment protection.