site.btaEnvironment Ministers of Bulgaria, North Macedonia Mark Environment Project's Successful Completion

The Bulgarian caretaker Minister of Environment and Water Rositsa Karamfilova-Blagova and North Macedonia's Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Naser Nuredini acknowledged the successful completion of a project to exchange experiences in the pre-accession process of the Republic of North Macedonia to the EU during a meeting in Skopje on Wednesday.

The implementation of the project "Strengthening the institutional and administrative capacity for negotiations under Chapter 27 'Environment' of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning of the Republic of North Macedonia and its regional structures in the process of accession to the EU" helps achieve the EU's objectives in the Western Balkans and is financed by the "International Development Cooperation" programme of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Karamfilova-Blagova praised the work of the expert teams from the two ministries who participated in the implementation of six thematic modules in the areas of biodiversity, water, environmental impact assessment, waste, climate change, and air quality.

Nuredini confirmed the significant interest from the Macedonian participants in the fields of nature conservation and biodiversity. The high interest led to a second, extraordinary round of discussions focused on the implementation of CITES, zoo legislation, and dealing with invasive species, which took place in Bansko, Southwest Bulgaria.

The meeting agenda included Bulgaria's candidacy to host COP29, as well as projects for cooperation on cross-border issues. Another meeting between the two ministers will be held in Bansko in December of this year.

"The reported results show the significant potential of our ministries working together. We can use them as a basis for a follow-up project focusing on the practical implementation of the EU legal framework," Karamfilova-Blagova told BTA. She was confident that the future joint activities between Bulgaria and North Macedonia will contribute to the effective implementation of high environmental standards and ensure a healthy environment.