On September 30, 2021 at 12:00 am  the Balkan Heritage Foundation (Bulgaria) and the National Institution Stobi (North Macedonia)  officially presented the “Master Conservation Plan for the Archaeological Site of Stobi” funded by the J.M. Kaplan Fund with a grant of 100 000 USD. The event, which took place at the Stobi Winery also marked the 11th anniversary of successfull partnership between the two institutions.

The Master Conservation Plan is a strategic document aimed at providing guidance and recommendations for better protection and presentation of the diverse cultural heritage of the site, as well as guidelines for its sustainable development by improving the management and fundraising capacities of NI Stobi. The development of the plan involved numerous experts from North Macedonia, Bulgaria,  UK, Italy, the USA, Greece and Canada. The plan will be available in English and Macedonian on the  websites of both organizations – BHF and NI Stobi on November 15, 2021. The “Master Conservation Plan for the Archaeological Site of Stobi” is the first document of its kind in the Republic of North Macedonia and an excellent basis for creating similar plans for other archaeological sites in the country and the wider region.

The event was attended by the minister of culture of the Republic of North Macedonia, the ambassadors of the USA, Austria and Italy, the deputy ambassador of Bulgaria, North Macedonian public officials, as well as representatives of cultural heritage institutions, as well as two of the BHF founders.