Ohrid, 23 July 2021 (MIA) – UNESCO’s advisory bodies have given North Macedonia and Albania two more years to take measures to implement the recommendations included in the reactive missions of the World Heritage Committee to avoid the region of Ohrid being placed on its list of endangered cultural and natural sites. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee at its 44^th session, taking place in the Chinese city of Fuzhou, approved the motion of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s UNESCO national committee to remove the provisions of the draft-decision. If approved, the Ohrid region would have been classified as endangered heritage site. Elaborating its motion, Bosnia and Herzegovina said North Macedonia and Albania should be urged to make more efforts to meet the recommendations from previous reports and besupported, rather than demotivated, in addressing the challenges together. Russia, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, China and Guatemala endorsed the proposal on changing the amendments to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s decision. The UNESCO national committees of Norway, Bahrein and Australia were in favor of classifying the Ohrid region as world heritage site in danger. They said it could further motivate the countries to take integrated measures and activities to eliminate the identified threats. Culture Ministry Irena Stefoska said North Macedonia in the past two years had demonstrated readiness and commitment to intensifying efforts to implement UNESCO’s recommendations. In a brief address at the meeting, she asked for deadlines to be extended, which would allow further actions in all spheres to be taken to protect better the world’s cultural and natural heritage. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Norway are tasked with setting up a joint group to monitor the process of implementation of recommendations and to inform the secretariat and the World Heritage Committee. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in the revised decisions encourage the two countries to draft a detailed strategic plan for restoration alongside an action plan, which will be implemented in stages according to clearly defined short-term and long-term goals to alleviate the existing threats facing the Ohrid region. The plan including the measures that are completed should be sent to the world heritage center by February 1, 2022. Also, North Macedonia and Albania by February 1, 2023 should sent to the world heritage center an updated joint report on the state of the region, including a report on the progress in implementing the recommendations.