Macedonia has great potential for developing the rural tourism, considering its authentic nature, something that unfortunately is fading away in my country, Swiss Ambassador in Skopje Stefano Lazzarotto said Monday at a meeting with Agriculture Minister Ljupco Dimovski.

Macedonia's natural potential should be directed towards bolstering the economic development of rural areas, in particular the tourism and activities related to this sector, Lazzarotto said.

He announced that the Swiss Government, in addition to various ongoing projects, will also support the forestry sector in terms of protecting the natural biodiversity, as part of Macedonia's EU integration process.

A project, aimed to create conditions for economic development of the rural areas by inciting economic activities for sustainable exploitation of the natural resources, should start in Osogovija region next March, Lazzarotto said. In the next 3,5 years the Swiss Government will invest CHF 4,5 million (about EUR 3,7m) in the project, he said.

Switzerland has been assisting Macedonia since 1992 on a bilateral basis, and also through its participation in international programmes. Since 1996 Macedonia has been a focal point of Switzerland's cooperation with Eastern Europe. This has concentrated particularly on good governance, infrastructural development at municipal level, job creation and promoting private enterprise.