“The Danube cannot be a priority of a single country. Its level near Ruse is a result of what is happening in other regions of Europe - Bavaria, the Alps and the Carpathians“, said Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Anna Natova at the opening of the international conference “Challenges and Prospects for the Development of Navigation on the Danube“ in the city of Ruse.
The forum was opened with the validation of a postage stamp on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Executive Agency “Research and Maintenance of the Danube River“.
Among the main issues facing shipping are ensuring year-round navigability, prolonged low water levels and extreme weather events, which are no longer an exception. Logistics companies will choose the river only if they can rely on it. Deputy Minister Natova pointed out that investments should be directed to the sections that limit movement along the entire transport corridor, based on a general assessment, and not only on national plans.
She noted that inland waterway transport is among the most energy-efficient and low-carbon modes of transport and has an important role for sustainable mobility.
As an example of joint actions, she cited the DISMAR project, which Bulgaria and Romania are implementing jointly. It includes an integrated system for marking the waterway, new buoys and coastal signs, as well as a digital platform with real-time shipping information.
In 2026, Bulgaria will chair the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region under the motto “Connecting regions, building cohesion - a stronger Danube for all“, recalled Deputy Minister Natova.
The conference will be attended by the European Coordinator of the “Rhine - Danube“ Transport Corridor; Margarida Marquez, the Director General of the Danube Commission Manfred Seitz, the Coordinator of Priority Area 1a “Inland Waterways“ of the Danube Strategy Markus Simoner, the Regional Governor of Ruse Prof. Dr. Lyubomir Vladimirov and the Mayor of Ruse Municipality Pencho Milkov.