For the third consecutive year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Economy, together with National Forests, dedicates one tree for every 10 kilograms of waste collected during the GENERALKA WEEKEND initiative. Today, the final 3,500 saplings of the total 51 hectares (black pine, white pine, and Arizona cypress) were planted by National Forests. This reforestation effort is named SONCHEVA GORA.

Daniela Irotova Lazareva, State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Economy, stated:
“This year, approximately 20 million denars have been allocated in the Ministry’s budget for reforestation. However, the Ministry’s program extends beyond reforestation to include cleaning areas affected by this year’s wildfires, land improvement, protection, i.e., treatment and inspection of saplings produced.”

Zdravko Trajanov, Director of the Public Enterprise National Forests, said:
“Reforestation is an investment in the future and in ecology. As a public enterprise responsible for forests, one of our commitments is professional reforestation of barren areas to achieve greater success in tree growth. I thank all the volunteers who contributed today to planting the last few thousand saplings of white pine, black pine, and Arizona cypress, completing 51 hectares of reforestation under the extended reforestation program.”

GENERALKA WEEKEND is the largest environmental action in the country, organized by “Men and Mountain” alongside key strategic partners like Pivara Skopje, with support from the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning:
“As the main strategic partner of the initiatives ‘Generalka Weekend’ and ‘Soncheva Gora,’ we at Pivara Skopje are proud to support, for the third consecutive year, the largest national environmental actions for reforestation and waste collection. These initiatives reflect our corporate commitments to a ‘World Without Waste’ and zero CO₂ emissions by 2040. What particularly pleases me is that once again, many members of our ‘Pivarci’ team volunteered for this action. They are true ambassadors of Pivara Skopje’s sustainability values. Through such initiatives, we aim to inspire similar actions and raise public awareness for a cleaner and more sustainable world,” said Snezhana Savic Dimovska, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Director at Pivara Skopje.

Resmi Ejupi, State Secretary for Environment and Physical Planning, added:
“I commend all partners and participants in these actions, as we are united by a strong desire to lead by example and raise awareness for environmental protection. Waste does not belong to nature. It is a product of our behavior and lifestyle, and only we can clean it. It is up to us to decide where to dispose of it and how to treat it.”

Over 150 volunteers participated in today’s SONCHEVA GORA reforestation action, including representatives from Pivara Skopje, Pakomak, Nula Otpad, Sparkasse Bank, EVN, Makstil, Buchim Borov Dol, Kostal, Bimilk, the Red Cross, the Volunteer Center Skopje, and the Municipality of Staro Nagorichane. This highlights the importance of collective effort in ensuring a green future for us and future generations.

Within this project, over four years, more than 125,000 trees have been planted, and 915,000 kilograms of waste collected, with over 44,000 volunteers participating, including more than 10,000 students.