Albania declares new national river park, backs airport plan

By LLAZAR SEMINI
Associated Press

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s government has formally designated the Vjosa River and its tributaries a national park, starting with an investment of some $80 million (75 million euros) to stop wastewater being poured into the river. Authorities held a ceremony Wednesday in a move aimed at preserving what they called one of the last wild rivers in Europe, which runs for 270 kilometers (170 miles) from the forest-covered slopes of Greece’s Pindus mountains to Albania’s Adriatic Sea coast. “Today we protect for ever Europe’s last wild river,” said Prime Minister Edi Rama. The river and its surrounding areas are ecosystems of substantial biodiversity and home to over 1,100 species of animals.