Shtip/Bitola, 13 December 2024 (MIA) — The mayors of Shtip and Bitola joined locals in separate tree-planting campaigns on Friday, organized to reforest the areas destroyed by wildfires, MIA's Shtip and Bitola correspondents report.

Goce Delchev University undergrads, Shtip Municipality staff, and Isar public utility company employees planted over 4,000 acacia, ash and black pine saplings at Shtip's Holy Sunday.

Shtip Mayor Ivan Jordanov said even more trees would be planted in the future, urging locals to cherish them. He added that illegal logging would be appropriately sanctioned by the relevant authorities, MIA's Shtip correspondent wrote.

According to MIA's Bitola correspondent, Bitola's tree-planting campaign was part of the EU-supported project EU2CleanAir. At three locations across the city, locals planted 1,500 tree saplings.

Bitola Mayor Toni Konjanovski said the project was highly important for protecting the environment at a time of extreme air pollution nationwide.

"I am looking forward to cooperating with citizens on protecting what we have planted," he said, adding that the trees would be watered by the Komunalec public utility company so "we can all together protect the trees as our generations' important future."

Trees were planted in Skopje's Municipality of Ilinden, as well. Thirty hectares of burned forest were replanted Friday with 1,100 acacia and cypress saplings, according to an Ilinden Municipality press release.

Many locals, students, public utility staff and municipality employees took part in the tree-planting campaign.

Ilinden Mayor Aleksandar Georgievski said it was everyone's duty to care and contribute toward cleaner air and a healthy environment. mr/