MINSK, 12 July (BelTA) – Belarus urges Poland to pull down the wall in the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha and not to misuse its location, Head of the Central Office of Multilateral Diplomacy of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Irina Velichko said at the United Nations panel discussion “SDG 15 and interlinkages with other SDGs - Life on land” in in New York, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The primeval forest of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, which was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is of exceptional importance for the biodiversity of not only Belarus, but also the ecosystems of entire Central and Eastern Europe. The preservation of this pristine forest, its ecosystem, the cultural and natural heritage of Belovezhskaya Pushcha has always been a priority for the government. This forest attracted the attention of environmental scientists from around the world. That is why we are particularly concerned today by the actions of the Polish authorities who on 30 June this year announced the completion of the construction of a five-meter wall in the territory of this transboundary property,” the diplomat said.
She noted that the artificial division of a single natural object puts the Belovezhskaya Pushcha bison on the brink of extinction, as their natural migration is hindered by this obstacle, the ground cover and underground drains are disturbed, and alien vegetation is introduced.
“We would like to call on Poland to stop abusing its territorial position of a neighboring country, to resume fulfilling its international commitments, to demolish the wall that has a negative impact on the ecosystem and the entire European region,” Irina Velichko said.
