site.btaRegional Development Minister Ivanov Receives Symbol of Danube Strategy Presidency from Bosnia and Herzegovina's Foreign Minister

Regional Development Minister Ivan Ivanov took part in the 14th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) in Sarajevo, the Ministry reported on Wednesday. He said that the Danube connects different peoples, their cultures, and is a path towards their shared future.

At a special ceremony during the event, Ivanov officially received from Bosnia and Herzegovina's Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic a ship’s wheel – a symbol of the Presidency of the Danube Strategy. This marks the symbolic beginning of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Strategy, which will officially start on January 1, 2026.

“The main priority and goal of Bulgaria during its Presidency will be to bring the Strategy closer to the people, because it was created for them. We will focus on reducing inequalities, strengthening connections, bringing countries closer together and creating opportunities that reach every part of the region. We will continue building bridges - between states, between institutions and, most importantly, between people. The wheel I am receiving today is a symbol of our shared journey. Let us continue steering together - for a more connected, sustainable and cohesive Danube Region,” the Regional Development Minister said.

He expressed his gratitude to Bosnia and Herzegovina for its dedicated work and commitment to the initiative, and emphasized that the country had led the Presidency with vision, showing how the Danube River can unite the region and support the enlargement and cohesion of the EU.

This will be Bulgaria’s second time at the helm of the Strategy, which promotes the economic, social and territorial development of the region and the closer cooperation of the Danube countries, following its first term in 2018. The Presidency will continue throughout the next year with various initiatives, meetings and forums.

The Danube Strategy was approved in 2011. It covers 14 countries and over 100 million people – one fifth of the population of the EU. Nine of these countries are EU Member States – Austria, Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania – while the other five – Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova and Ukraine – are located in the Danube Basin. The goal of the Strategy is to develop the economic potential of the Danube River, which is the second-longest river in Europe and connects the countries of Central Europe with the Black Sea region, the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

The Forum began with a minute of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the city of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the previous night.