On the development of the transboundary specially protected natural territory "Zapovednoye Poozerie"

On June 26-27, 2024, the third meeting of the Joint Belarusian-Russian Commission for coordinating the implementation of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Russian Federation on the creation of the transboundary specially protected natural area "Zapovednoye Poozerye" will be held in the Rossony district of the Vitebsk region, with the participation of A.N. Korbut, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus, I.Yu. Makhanova, Director of the Department of State Policy and Regulation in the Field of Protected Areas of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation, and R.F. Koltso, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.

The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Russian Federation on the creation of the transboundary specially protected natural area "Zapovednoye Poozerye" was signed in Sochi on September 30, 2017, and approved by Resolution No. 186 of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated March 7, 2018.

A transboundary specially protected natural area "Zapovednoye Poozerye" has been established on the border territories of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation. It includes the republican landscape reserve "Krasny Bor" (Republic of Belarus), the republican landscape reserve "Osvensky" (Republic of Belarus), and the national park "Sebezhsky" (Russian Federation).

The transboundary specially protected natural area "Zapovednoye Poozerye" has been created with the aim of preserving the biological and landscape diversity of the Vitebsk and Sebezhskoye Poozerye regions, promoting bilateral cooperation in environmental protection and the rational use of natural resources, taking into account ecological, social, and cultural priorities, conducting environmental monitoring and studying natural complexes and objects, and developing environmental education and ecotourism.

The bodies responsible for the implementation of the said Agreement are:

from the Belarusian Side – the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus;

from the Russian Side – the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation.

Within the framework of the meeting, discussions will be held on issues of further development of the transboundary specially protected natural area "Zapovednoye Poozerye": priority areas of cooperation and joint measures for the conservation of biological diversity, and the development of ecological tourism in this area. Planned activities include: a visit to the transboundary historical and patriotic tourist route "Nature of Memory - Memory of Nature": the site of the execution of partisans, the Alley of Memory, the Memorial Complex. An environmental safety class will be opened at the educational institution "Klyastitskaya Secondary School of V.A. Khomchenovsky of the Rossony District". The event will conclude with a laying of flowers at the Mound of Friendship.