Third Project Coordination Meeting of the Vjosa / Aoos River Ecomuseum
On the occasion of the opening ceremony of the touristic season in Përmet, the Institute for Nature Conservation in Albania in cooperation with the Forest in Service Directorate in Përmet have organised on the 18-19th of May 2013, the third joint project coordination meeting (AL-Gr) in the frame of the VAEcoM project, co-funded by the European Funds and National funds of Albania and Greece under the IPA Cross – Border Programme “Greece – Albania 2007-2013. This meeting was attended even by the Greek partner of the VAEcoM Project, MEDINA and Pindus and other local management authorities from the Greek and Albanian project area.
The first day of the meeting was dedicated on project management issues, discussions on the scenario and routes (group discussion) and the organization of the coming activities and as well as the visibility of the project. In this frame four different thematic routes (two in Greece and two in Albania) are presented, and the respective subthemes are consolidated and agreed. A final version of the scenario for the ecomusem is presented and discussed. The scenario will be a story combined with fairytale and myths elements based on the old writings storeys, legends and mythology of the project area in both countries. Through this story the description of the geographical area all Vjosa river flow from Greece to Albania will be given. The story will be devided in two parts the first one will be the History tale and the second one will be real story. The story would be branched under 4 thematic routes of the eco-museum giving in this way the real natural and cultural values of life in both countries.
During the second day in cooperation with the Municipality of Permet the participants have joined the local authorities and local inhabitants in the ceremony for the opening of the tourism season in Përmet. On this occasion, in the frame of the VAEcoM project, at the premises of the Multifunctional Centre of Permet Municipality (this building is decided to be the entry point Centre for the ecomuseum in Albania part ) a MoU for the establishment of Albanian network for the Vjosa/Aoos ecomuseum is launched and signed. This event was attended by the representatives of the local authorities, NGO, and other individuals and inhabitants of the project area and other active national and foreign donors in the Permet area. This MoU for the establishment of Albanian network for the Vjosa/Aoos ecomuseum is signed by 6 representatives of local authorities in the area around the Vjosa river such as: Permet Municipality, Kelcyr Municipality, Petran Commune, Carshove Commune, Piskove Commune of and Frasher Comune, and as well as by 10 NGO focused in environment, culture, tourism, and local production. This MoU is signed as well as by the interested individuals and academic experts.
This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) highlights the objectives and management arrangements of the Vjosa / Aoos Ecomuseum Network inAlbania. It explains the communication, information sharing, consultation processes, the network’s governance structure and source of authority.
The Vjosa/Aoos Ecomuseum Network in Albania will be managed by the members and will be part of the joint network (Al-Gr), based on this Memorandum signed by all members of the network and the governance will be done by all the representatives in the structure organised in the General Assembly (GA). This GA will be assisted by a Technical Secretariat that will also play the role as the Advisory Body.
During this event the participants are informed that in the coming months another Joint MoU between both networks in Albania and Greece will be agreed and signed with the scope to manage and to develop further jointly the Ecomusem in both countries.
With the establishment of the joint network, the GA will discuss how to adopt and select the necessary structure within the Network in Albania and with the new structure requested. The Network in Albania is already supportive to the joint network and will follow the necessary approaches for the joint network for putting in place the Vjosa/Aoos ecomuseum.
This event is finalised with a visit and traditional reception in the National Park of “Bredhi i Hotoves”.
