Belarus issues statement on  Belovezhskaya Pushcha at UNESCO summit

First Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus Aleksandr Korbut made a statement after the UNESCO World Heritage Committee took a decision on the state of conservation of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, BelTA learned from the press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus.

Aleksandr Korbut informed the attendees about the negative impact of the fence built by Poland on ecosystems of the UNESCO World Heritage transboundary site Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The first deputy minister highlighted disruption of the hydrological cycle, blocking of wildlife migration routes, and the spread of alien and invasive plant species.

Aleksandr Korbut told those present about Belarus' efforts to embark on a meaningful dialogue with Poland to minimize the existing negative consequences and to prevent potential threats caused by the Polish fence. 

“At the end of his speech, the first deputy minister asked the UNESCO World Heritage Center and the International Union for Conservation of Nature to act as mediators between Belarus and Poland and help resume transboundary cooperation between the two countries in order to effectively implement the recommendations of the committee and avert the worsening of the situation in the transboundary site Belovezhskaya Pushcha,” the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection said.

During the session, the Belarusian delegation held a number of bilateral meetings with representatives of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee member states and observer countries to inform them about the work being done to ensure the safety of Belovezhskaya Pushcha and attempts to embark on a constructive dialogue with Poland. At the same time, the Belarusian delegation emphasized its determination to avoid politicization of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha issue.

The 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee is taking place these days in New Delhi (India). 

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