In a reaction to the statement of Albanian President Ilir Meta, Prime Minister Edi Rama announced to the media today that he is also in favor of the creation of a National Park in Vjosa and that the Kalivaç dam has been rejected by the Minister of Environment. MORE HERE
On his official Twitter account, Edi Rama posted: “I agree with Ilir Meta that the future is not destruction, but how good it would have been if he had protected Valbona from destruction when he was deputy head of Saliu’s government, as he defends today Vjosan from the imaginary danger of hydropower plants that will not be built! Our government has declared the Upper Vjosa National Park. Our Ministry of Environment has officially refused to give permission for HPP projects in the lower Vjosa that will be integrated with the Park! The destructive tide of the old government on the rivers as a whole has long since receded!”
“We welcome today’s statement by the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, that the Vjosa river will be saved and the Kalivaç dam will not be built. After the Prime Minister’s message, this is the right time to start a dialogue with scientists, public authorities and civil society regarding the future of Vjosa and the creation of a Vjosa National Park. I am sure that many international institutions will be ready to support this path”, says CEO of Riverwatch, Ulrich Eichelmann.
“Creating a national park throughout Vjosa and banning electricity is the right step. But in Albania there are other destructive projects like in the Valbona National Park – we insist that they also be stopped immediately”, says Gabriel Schwaderer, Executive Director of the EuroNatur Foundation.
