Meeting 1 of the Coordination and Management Group of Transboundary Protected Areas in the Sharr-Korab Mountain Massif between Albania and North Macedonia.

The first meeting of the Coordination and Management Group of Transboundary Protected Areas in the Sharr-Korab mountain massif between Albania and North Macedonia was held. This massif is the largest protected area in Europe, with approximately 230,000 hectares, respectively in Sharr Mountain National Park (NP) in Kosovo, the national parks of Sharr Mountain and Mavrovo in North Macedonia, and Korab-Koritnik Nature Park (NP) in Albania, with a rich natural habitat containing a large number of species, many of them rare and endangered. The meeting was organized under the auspices of Sharr Mountain National Park in Tetovo, and was initiated within the framework of the project "Protection and Sustainable Use of Protected Areas in Sharr Mountain, Mavrovo and Korab-Koritnik", financed by PONT - Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust, and implemented by the Albanian Foundation for Development of Local Capacities (ALCDF), in partnership with local organizations, Center for Sustainable Community Development (CSCD) in North Macedonia, and NGO "Dibra Turistike" in Albania. The meeting was a step towards transboundary cooperation and coordination of Protected Areas in the Sharr-Korab mountain massif. This cooperation will contribute to increased coordination, cooperation and dialogue among regional authorities of transboundary protected areas, technical staff, local authorities, other law enforcement institutions, civil society, and communities of populated areas in the Sharr-Korab mountain massif. Participants discussed the challenges and importance of transboundary cooperation. This productive meeting addressed a series of concrete, practical and achievable issues in order to find careful and comprehensive solutions. Participants emphasized the need for coordinated actions against illegal activities such as poaching of wild animals, indiscriminate harvesting of medicinal plants and forest by-products, illegal border crossings, uncontrolled motor movements across meadows, protection and response to fires, tourism development and other issues that require concrete transboundary cooperative measures. The vision of the Director of Sharr Mountain Park in North Macedonia was presented with great interest, who emphasized that together we must be committed to ensuring that the largest protected area in Europe is recognized for its unique rich values, and within 10 years becomes the most developed protected area in Europe. This is the vision that all regional actors will work towards and coordinate actions and common measures. Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust - PONTMavrovo-National parkShar Mountain National Park