Struga, 13 August 2026 (MIA) -- Struga is a town of ethnic and religious reconciliation, a role model of coexistence and mutual respect, President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova said after her meeting with Struga Mayor Mendi Qyra earlier Thursday. 

On the 25th anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, Siljanovska Davkova paid a visit to Struga to discuss with Qyra the relations between local ethnic communities as well as the challenges the UNESCO-protected Ohrid region has been facing.

The head of stete said she had chosen to meet with the mayor of Struga on this day to see how Qyra, who had won the mayoral election as an independent candidate, has helped heal regional rifts and gathered locals from various backgrounds together to prioritize their common interests.

According to Siljanovska Davkova, the talks focused on residents' real problems and the central and local governments' roles in safeguarding the Ohrid Region's UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

"The Struga mayor has an important role as does the Ohrid mayor, together with the Ministry of Culture and the other ministries," she said, stressing that she was concerned about the state of Lake Ohrid both as president and as a citizen.

"Without cooperation, we cannot protect our region, Struga, Ohrid and their status, which means a lot," she said.

Siljanovska Davkova and Qyra also raised the question of working together with Albania to protect the lake. She said the state should establish efficient institutional coordination mechanisms in the next five years, drawing from Albania's successful lake protection measures.

"The lake connects us," she said. "Joining forces to protect it can be the great bridge between us."

According to the president, fulfilling UNESCO obligations is a national duty preserving the heritage and improving the local quality of life.

The Struga mayor said the Ohrid Framework Agreement remained the foundation for coexistence, unity and progress in the municipality.

"We believe we are opening a new chapter, a new era in Struga, where life is good. We live together and together we celebrate our successes in sports, culture and other happenings making everyone's life better," Qyra said.

He pointed out the importance of taking a more serious approach to fulfilling the Ohrid Region protection recommendations and stressed that the state should "take more serious steps toward solving the obligations that need to be solved as regards UNESCO." mr/