PRISTINA, 3 June 2022 – The EU Ambassador in Kosovo, Ambassador Tomas Szunyog, the Mayor of Pristina, Perparim Rama, and members of the EU family in Kosovo, marked today the World Environment Day by planting trees along Arberi/Dragodan stairs in Pristina.
“We have to keep it green!” they said.
Arberi/Dragodan stairs are one of Pristina’s important landmarks and meeting points and complete the city’s green corridor. The tree-planting activity, which included children from the Model School, was organised as a part of the EU Green Week and the Kosovo Sustainable Development Week 2022, dedicated to green energy.
“The overall environmental situation in Kosovo has worsened over the past years and we are facing serious environmental problems related to air, water and soil pollution, which require immediate attention,” said Ambassador Szunyog.
“Today, we are planting trees to raise awareness about those issues and highlight our cooperation with municipalities on environmental and energy issues. In Pristina, among others, it included improving the efficiency of Termokos and reducing the CO2 emissions, co-investing in Shkabaj water treatment plant, improving the quality of drinking water, and providing some of the initial air-quality monitors. Works on the modernisation of waste management and the construction of a landfill are also ongoing.”
Looking at the bigger picture, the EU is helping Kosovo to switch to sustainable and renewable green energy sources and implement the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, including goals relating to depollution, mitigation of climate change, and biodiversity.
“A greener Pristina is our mission, and we are working hard to implement changes for a healthier and safer environment for our citizens. We will continue to plant more trees and create new green areas throughout our city,” said Rama.
Arberi/Dragodan stairs now have 100 new trees planted from the bottom to the top. Tough a symbolic action, today’s tree planting contributed to making Pristina a greener city.
From 2015 to date, the EU invested more than EUR 100 million in the protection of the environment, including by improving the energy infrastructure, which has a significant impact on the environment.
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