Ohrid, 10 July 2025 (MIA) -- EU Ambassador Michalis Rokas paid a working visit to Ohrid and met with Mayor Kiril Pecakov and municipality councillors, MIA's Ohrid correspondent reports.

Their talks revolved around EU-supported local projects, Ambassador Rokas told reporters after the meeting, praising the local government on implementing the projects.

They talked about municipal plans related solid waste management and wastewater treatment as well as building new parking lots and parks as well.

They also talked about the UNESCO World Heritage Committee's decision to inscribe the Ohrid region on its List of World Heritage in Danger, Rokas said.

The EU ambassador said Ohrid was "a precious jewel" so all stakeholders, including regional mayors, should be working together to improve the status of the Ohrid region.

The Ohrid mayor said he had presented to the EU ambassador municipal plans for the future development of Ohrid with the EU's continued support.

Regarding UNESCO's decision, they both decided against predicting the outcome of the World Heritage Committee's session taking place in Paris on July 6-16.

"Let's wait and see the outcome of the UNESCO debate," Rokas said, adding that Ohrid had great potential so all stakeholders needed to work together to protect its natural and cultural heritage attributes.

The Ohrid mayor recalled that there had been several attempts at UNESCO to put Ohrid on the World Heritage in Danger list, but this had not happened yet.

He said he would give an official statement on the decision after the World Heritage Committee's session was over.

Pecakov added that although UNESCO's report contained a great deal of criticism "against Ohrid, against other municipalities, against our country, against Albania and the cooperation between the two countries," it was also of "critical" importance. mr/