The Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation of Albania issued a public statement on Tuesday regarding the latest draft decision of UNESCO for Butrint.
"Those who for a long time have been spreading in Albanian and English some untruths, some truth taken out of context and many half-truths, hoping to return Butrint to its dark past on the List of World Heritage in Danger, have completely right to feel disappointed after the publication of the draft decision of the QTB at the beginning of last week", this ministry reacted. According to her, the document that will be forwarded to the World Heritage Committee to become an official decision is based on UNESCO's detailed analysis of the work of this ministry and its partners in the study, conservation, administration and development of sustainable development of Butrint, as well as fulfilling the recommendations of ICOMOS.
"MEKI, as the representative of the Albanian state in the World Heritage Convention, finds the draft decision and its analytical report to be very objective and completely correct. We note with pleasure that there, not only the problematic past of Butrint is not evoked, but, on the contrary, it is seen from the future by evaluating the cooperation of the Albanian state with QTB for the discussion of development proposals in the world property and its protected landscape". the Ministry wrote.
The draft decision leaves a number of tasks that MEKI will have to carry out within the beginning of 2025.
"We share the same opinion with UNESCO on these tasks and we have immediately started work on completing them, as we consider them fundamental for ensuring the protection, development and facing the future environmental, climatic, social and economic challenges of Butrint ", this ministry wrote.
The issue of Butrint came to the fore in February of this year when the report of the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Technology was made public, which warned that the establishment of the Foundation alone cannot fulfill the recommendations for the integrated management of Butrint and was had recommended to the Albanian authorities that the Ministry of Culture maintain the overall authority of this world treasure and not just a part of it. The UNESCO-ICOMOS report raised deep concern about the removal from the Butrint Park of about 600 hectares, where a resort is currently being built in a part, and asks the Albanian authorities to urgently submit to UNESCO a clear plan of measures for the protection of the National Park of Butrint.
