The Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO said on Monday that decisions should be made at the 36th session of the UNESCO Committee regarding UNESCO World Heritage sites in Lithuania, including a report on the preservation of the Curonian Spit and the specification of buffer zones in Vilnius historic center.
Taking into account previous decisions made during the UNESCO World Heritage Committee's session and recommendations of the international mission experts from the World heritage Center and ICOMOS in 2010, Lithuania and Russia made the commitment to submit a joint report on the preservation of the Curonian Spit.
The Committee's draft resolution states that joint efforts by institutions and national park authorities of both states to draw up a joint tourism, traffic and administration strategy for the Curonin Spit have received positive evaluations.
Russia is expected to provide confirmations to the World heritage Committee by 1 September 2012 that it is suspending the development of an economic zone in the region of Kaliningrad.
The Committee is also concerned about plans to build an LNG terminal in the port of Klaipėda near the Curonian Spit. The Committee believes that possible impact on the value of this site should be evaluated and the evaluation should be submitted to the World heritage Center for review.
The Committee also plans to back proposals to adjust buffer zones in Vilnius historic center. Upon the adjustments, the protected area would cover 352.09 ha.
PM sees no threat
Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius says he believes the Curonian Spit, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, will not suffer from the planned construction of a LNG terminal in the port of Klaipeda.
"Of course, the protection of the Curonian Spit, a unique world heritage site and such a jewel of nature which is so important for us, is a key priority for us. The port of Klaipėda has been operating near this beautiful piece of nature for decades. I do believe new projects in the port of Klaipėda will be carried out as responsibly and thoroughly as possible, and the Curonian Spit's beauty will be definitely protected during the implementation of this project," the prime minister said in an interview to the Lithuanian Radio on Tuesday.
"I wouldn’t want to evaluate any conclusions of the UNESCO Committee if such conclusions are being prepared. I know one thing that thorough, comprehensive environmental impact assessments were carried out with the participation of all specialists," Kubilius said.
