Skopje, 4 November 2023 (MIA) — Some 1.2 million saplings will be planted by March 2024 at 36 sites nationwide as part of this year's Reforesting Together 2023 tree-planting campaign, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy told a press conference Saturday.

Minister Nikolovski said it was the duty of the state and of all citizens to protect the national forests and to regularly plant new trees.

"This year's campaign, which starts this month and will last until March 2024, will cover an area of over 400 hectares with several different types of saplings, such as white and black pine, maple, acacia, spruce, oak, cypress, ash, chestnut and fir trees," Minister Nikolovski said.

He added that businesses and civil society representatives were joining in the tree-planting campaign.

"We reaffirmed our successful cooperation with socially responsible companies and civil associations last year, when in 21 regions we reforested more than 300 hectares together, planting over 800,000 saplings," he said, pointing out that one of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy's priorities was the green transition through afforestation.

"Let's leave a clean, green and European country to our future generations," Nikolovski said. mr/