Ohrid

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said that North Macedonia is acting to preserve the lakeside town of Ohrid and its surroundings, a UNESCO world heritage site, after a critical report from the UN cultural body on Monday.

North Macedonia has done little to fix issues in the past year-and-a-half since UNESCO first threatened to reclassify the lakeside town of Ohrid as an "endangered heritage site", mainly citing persistent problems with unrestrained urbanisation, a draft report by the UN body made available on Monday said.

Bulgarian historians in a joint history commission continue to dispute the adjective "Macedonian" used in North Macedonia's history text books.

The government of Bulgaria approved the granting of EUR 112,000 of financial assistance to the countries of the Western Balkans and Vietnam.

The money is for coping with the consequences of Covid-19 and will be used for the implementation of 6 projects in fulfillment of the Team Europe initiative - the global EU response to Covid-19.

One of the most popular travel guides, Lonely Planet, has included North Macedonia as its third best travel destination for 2020, citing its rich history, the clear waters of Lake Ohrid and the country's picturesque mountain peaks.

Ahead of a planned UNESCO inspection due in November, tasked at assessing progress in protecting the natural and cultural heritage of the Ohrid region, North Macedonia has drafted a plan to protect the area and prevent it from being put on the list of "World Heritage Sites in Danger".

North Macedonia is the largest recipient of development assistance from Bulgaria. In 2019, Bulgaria has provided over 500,000 euros to the neighboring country, Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said. She opened a new social center in Strumica, funded by Sofia with 138,000 euros.

The pleasing scene is sprinkled with old, red-tiled houses amid the hills, among the intertwining greenery. At certain places, houses are aligned atop steep rocks that plunge vertically into the lake below.

The UN cultural organisation UNESCO meeting at its 43rd session in Baku, Azerbaijan, has ordered North Macedonia to take measures to properly protect the heritage of the lakeside city of Ohrid - or be added to the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger.

After UNESCO threatened to put the lakeside town of Ohrid and the surrounding area on its list of endangered sites, mainly citing its persistent problem with illegal construction, the local authorities promised swift action.