The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, gathered recently in Krakow, Poland, approved the expansion of the World Heritage Site of old Beech forest with two areas from Albania. The Gashi River Area in Tropoja and the Rrajca Area in Perrenjas are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Beech Forests in Rrajca are part of the National Park Shebenik-Jabllanicë, which is now turned into a tourist destination in Southeast Albania. While the Protected Zone "Gashi River is included by the Albanian authorities as Strict Natural Reserve of first category in 1996.
The area has an area of hectares 3,000 and is located northeast of Albanian Alps in the Kukes Region, the district of Tropoja, far from the inhabited center. Known Albanian nature researchers and Protected Area Agencies in Kukës and Elbasan worked on the file of two Albanian natural areas that will now be protected by UNESCO.According to Albanian researchers, these areas currently represent the 'last islands' of wild virgin forests left in Albania. In the Unesco World Assets List are included from Albania The Antique City of Butrint,
Historical Cities of Gjirokastra and Berat which are protected in series, as well as in the World Oral Wealth, is accepted also the Albanian Isopolyphonia. Albania is expected to submit to UNESCO the file for the appointment of the Albanian part of Ohrid Lake since the Macedonian part of this lake, which has two-thirds of the surface, is part of the World Heritage since 1979./Oculus News