Following his return from the UNESCO summit in Baku, Ohrid Mayor Konstantin Georgievski said that the list of 409 illegal constructions in the protected zone of the city and of lake Ohrid contains only a dozen actual buildings. Georgievski is pressed by UNESCO to show that he can uphold the law and protect Macedonia’s main tourist region in order to be able to preserve the title of protected world heritage site.

While promising resolute action to the UNESCO representatives, Georgievski after his return said that he is still not sure whether to even publish the list of unlawfully built sites. He promised though that in the coming period a lot will be done to demolish the unlawful buildings, but also added that he doesn’t have the resources to deal with all the problems. It is believed that the list includes houses but also hotels and even industrial facilities.

Ohrid has been protected by UNESCO for 40 years, and the title is a source of pride but also an important draw for tourists. Mayor Georgievski and Nefi Useini, an important city Council member, were themselves both accused of performing or planning illegal construction.