Skopje, 11 September 2025 (MIA) - First Deputy PM and Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, Izet Mexhiti, met Thursday with United States Ambassador Angela Aggeler, discussing the technical and scientific cooperation for the protection of Lake Ohrid.

The cooperation aims to improve the Lake Ohrid water quality, management of its fish stock and development of sustainable lake tourism, the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning said in a press release.

Over the course of last year, two U.S. experts conducted field visits and held meetings towards assessing the current situation, with the visit report including several specific recommendations - capacity strengthening of the Hydrobiological Institute, drafting a national long-term programme on monitoring and the fish stock, development of a joint crossborder plan for protection of the Lake Ohrid trout, setting up mechanisms for early detection of invasive species, as well as development of a research programme for sustainable tourism and strengthening the role of civil society organizations.

Deputy PM Mexhiti and Ambassador Aggeler agreed that the Lake Ohrid protection is a national and crossborder priority, while cooperation with the U.S. and international partners is set to provide the required expertise for protection of this unique natural and cultural heritage, reads the press release.

Photo: Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning