| On June 17, the 17th Congress of the YABLOKO
party unanimously adopted an appeal On the threat of the destruction
of unique natural complexes of the World Natural Heritage
Site "The Western Caucasus". The appeal is addressed
to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee that will meet for
a session in St.Petersburg in the end of June. The draft appeal
was submitted to the Congress by Andrei Rudomakha, head of
the Krasnodar branch of YABLOKO and Sergei Mitrokhin, YABLOKO
Chairman.
YABLOKO called the World Heritage Committee to pay special
attention to the critical situation in the field of preservation
of World Natural Heritage Site "The Western Caucasus".
YABLOKO expressed its concern by the plans of the Russian
government to build a ski resort Lagonaki and a road to the
Lunnaya Polyana (Moon Glade) resort in the natural reserve
which is part of the World Heritage “The Western Caucasus”
area. These new threats to the integrity of the natural complexes
have been recently added to a large number of other threats
to the World Heritage Site.
Presenting the draft appeal to the Congress Andrei Rudomakha
told delegates that these problems include not only an environmental
aspect, but also they contain a significant political component,
because top officials of the Russian state are supporting
both the projects threatening the unique natural complexes.
YABLOKO’s appeal lays a special emphasis on the fact that
“The most egregious facts include building on the initiative
of the Presidential Property Management Department of a ski
resort Lunnaya Polyana (Moon Glade) in the World Heritage
area intended for recreation of Vladimir Putin and disguised
as "research centre Biosphere”. The construction led
to devastating impact on the unique natural landscapes in
the western slopes of Mount Fisht.”
The YABLOKO party stressed in the appeal that in this very
difficult political situation in Russia, when the federal
government completely neglected public opinion, national interests
and international obligations, the position of UNESCO may
play a key role in solving these problems.
The party called on the World Heritage Committee to recommend
Russia to abandon plans on building the Lagonaki ski resort
and a road between the village Solokh-Aul and “Lunnaya Polyana”,
as well as dismantle the ski lifts on the western slopes of
Mount Fisht. In addition, YABLOKO called UNESCO to adopt a
decision on the inclusion of the World Heritage Site "The
Western Caucasus" into the "Heritage at Risk"
list.
See also:
On the threat
of the destruction of unique natural complexes of the World
Natural Heritage Site "The Western Caucasus".
June 18, 2012. Appeal by the YABLOKO Congress
17th
Congress of YABLOKO
Protection
of Environment
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