Skopje, 31 January 2023 (MIA) – Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Naser Nuredini met Tuesday with Deputy General Secretary of the Union for the Mediterranean, Almotaz Abadi, discussing the strengthening of regional cooperation through dialogue and implementation of regional projects and initiatives,.

Minister Nuredini pointed out North Macedonia’s active role in strengthening regional cooperation by fostering goodneighborly relations and the aim to protect the environment, the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning said in a press release.

“North Macedonia is actively contributing to regional projects for integrated water resource management in the Crn Drim basin and flood protection projects in the bottom part of Vardar as cross-border basins that affect the quality of the Mediterranean Sea through the Aegean and Adriatic Seas,” Nuredini said.

The Minister pointed out they are committed to the green agenda for the Western Balkans, for which the investments focus on improvement of the waste water network, establishing regional waste management centers and circular economy, as well as efforts to de-carbonize the economy through measures and climate change mitigation policies.

Abadi expressed support for the political dialogue to promote results in the fields of water management, circular economy and economy de-carbonization, which North Macedonia achieved as a new member of the Union for the Mediterranean.

The inclusion of partners through the Union, which consists of 43 member states (EU and countries that share the Mediterranean) opens the possibility to access potential financial institutions and transfer adequate knowledge and experiences towards environmental protection, as well as strengthening the dialogue with other EU member states in the context of realizing European integration as a national priority, reads the press release. dk/ik/