The leaders of Greece, Albania and Macedonia agreed Friday to step up their efforts in protecting the eco-system in the Lake Prespes region shared by the three countries.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha and their Macedonian counterpart Nikola Gruevski agreed at a meeting in a lake-side village on the Greek side to sign an agreement on this issue.

The agreement is expected to be signed on February 2, 2010, on the 10th anniversary of the joint communique first signed by the three countries on February 2, 2000, to protect the Lake Prespes region eco-system.

"We believe that our joint activity will contribute to boost awareness on the importance of coordinated policies on environment-related issues in the region and beyond," reads the joint declaration adopted by the three leaders ahead of the forthcoming Copenhagen summit on climate changes.

The three countries also promised to promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation in water management, take prevention measures against pollution and soil erosion, as well as promote the viable management of biodiversity in the region.

The three prime ministers also voiced their support for an international agreement at the upcoming UN international summit on climate change in Copenhagen.

(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2009)