Category: News

NEW SERIES OF WALKING MAPS OF ALBANIA

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We have become aware of the recent series of 9 walking maps of Albania*, published by Huber and others and supported financially by ADA.

We welcome their production.

However, we wish for it to be known, that Mr. Petrit Imeraj (listed on the maps as one of “our consultants”), uses the B3P name and his own Balkans Peace Park logo, without the consultation with, nor authorization of B3P (UK), (which is a UK government registered Charity) or its governing committee nor B3P-Albania, (an NGO registered legally in Albania).

 

Mr. Imeraj was involved in some B3P activities up until 2004, but since then he acted independently, and maintains a shop-front with the name “Balkans Peace Park” in Shkoder. This does not represent B3P-UK, nor B3P-Albania.

*The maps, ALBANIA TOURGUIDE hiking and biking, sheets l and 2 relate to the Balkans Peace Park region. They are published by Huber Kartographie, Munich together with the Albanian Alps Association, National Society for Mountain Studies and the Walking Maps Organization in Tirana. It was funded by the Austrian Development Agency in Vienna. B3P was not aware of their publication until they went on sale in bookshops.

Planning Maps Endorse The Balkans Peace Park Project Vision!

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This new planning map “National Park Albanian Alps” is one of several that acknowledges the existence of three contiguous national parks in three countries – formally included on one map (an advisory ministerial document). This is quite an achievement to be quietly celebrated! We were glad to be invited by GIZ to participate in consultation and advisory meetings.

map

Remarkably – and close to our vision of l2 years ago – this map officially under consideration at planning meetings (Ministry, GIZ and stakeholders), includes most of our originally suggested area, if not more, and like the Albanian park now proposed, the Kosovo park is larger than envisaged. Consultations between them exist, and there is liaison between the authorities on both sides. A much small, albeit more manageable area, in Montenegro, leaves some room for later evolution there, at a stage when the future of the Prokletije as a whole is in delicate balance.

One of the aims of B3P, since 2003, was reviving interest in, and linking the other two existing national parks in Albania, and the creation of a new one, Malesia e Madhe, as well as an adjacent Kosovo Park (Rugova/Bjeshket e Nemuna) and in Montenegro (Prokletije). This has led now to formal acknowledgment of the potential amalgamation of at least three contiguous parks in Albania. And it acknowledges those in neighbouring Montenegro and Kosovo. This single (enlarged) Albanian park is still at the official proposal stage, but endorses the potential unity of adjacent parks across borders, even though there is a long way o go in implementation. Nevertheless, the proposed extension of the potential park to the Malesia e Madhe (Boge/Lepushe/Vermosh) in form if not substance, is a success beyond our expectations.

Files to download
Summary of the GIZ plans for the mapped region