The Mayor of Gjirokaster Flamur Golemi has said that they consulted UNESCO on the Gjirokaster bypass project.
In conversation with Exit and when asked if they had notified or sought permission from UNESCO prior to starting work, he said:
“Of course we did, I hope you have the correct information regarding…for the information you need we are more than happy to welcome you in Gjirokaster and give you all the information you need regarding the investment.”
Exit shared with Golemi the response from UNESCO who said:
“The World Heritage Centre received third-party information about the project on 9 March 2021. WHC has contacted the State Party of Albania to verify the information received. No response yet.”
Golemi replied; “You asked if we contacted UNESCO and my answer is yes.”
He then invited Exit to Gjirokaster again to “present the whole process and the correspondence we have so far with UNESCO.”
In correspondence with Exit, UNESCO also said that they would be assessing the project at their next meeting in July and may issue a decision to halt the work until a Heritage Impact report is completed.
Shortly after the exchange with Golemi, the pending freedom of information request was answered by the Municipality.
Exit asked if the construction of the new bypass near Gjirokaster Castle threatens the integrity of the castle and the cultural heritage of the surrounding structures. The Municipality responded “no”. This is despite the initial project from several years ago, being shelved because it was “risky” and “unfeasible”.
Exit then asked if they could provide Exit with the plans for the project and the Environmental Impact Assessment Report and Preliminary EIA Decisions. They answered yes but did not attach the plans to the email.
The Municipality also provided the financial information on the project. It’s being funded by the Albanian government at a cost of 330,555,010 ALL or EUR 2.7 million.
In terms of seeking UNESCO approval, they said that the Ministry of Culture sent the project to UNESCO for consideration. UNESCO said that this is not the case.
