The Council of Europe diploma for the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve may be extended in September

February 25, Minsk / Olga Belyavskaya - BELTA /. The Council of Europe Diploma for the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve may be extended in September this year, Deputy Director of the Reserve for Research Work Valery Ivkovich told a BELTA correspondent. The specialist noted that in March, a meeting of the Council of Europe's expert group for awarding diplomas to protected areas is to be held in Strasbourg. One of the topics to be discussed will be the issue of extending the diploma for the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve. "We hope that a positive decision will be made, and considering the duration of the entire procedure, we expect the diploma to be extended in September," he said. Valery Ivkovich recalled that last year an EU expert visited the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve. He studied how the requirements set by the Council of Europe for extending the diploma were being met. The main one was the existence of a management plan for the reserve, which was presented to the foreign specialist. The European expert familiarized himself with the activities of the reserve, the specifics of ensuring the protection regime, and generally positively assessed this work. The Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve is the oldest among the protected sites that make up the natural heritage of Belarus. Its natural complex covers 1.2 thousand sq. km and includes various types of southern taiga forests, swamps, floodplain meadows, lakes, and rivers. Thanks to its biological diversity and the uniqueness of its natural complexes, the reserve is of exceptional importance not only for Belarus but for all of Europe. The Council of Europe Diploma is a prestigious award given to national parks and reserves for their successes in nature conservation. The Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve received the diploma in 1995 for its successes in wildlife conservation. Since then, the Council of Europe has extended this document twice (the last time in 2005). The diploma expires this year. -0-