The Danube is not only a 2,850-kilometre-long river, but also a connection point for the countries that it runs through, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade stressed at the Budapest meeting of the Danube Commission held on Friday.

Péter Szijjártó said the Danube is a common treasure which permits environmentally friendly transportation, is a source of energy and water, and plays an important role equally in tourism, the economy and agriculture. As an example of the attachment of the Hungarian people to rivers, the Minister mentioned that Hungary is divided into three parts, Transdanubia, the region between the Rivers Danube and Tisza, and the region beyond the River Tisza. He highlighted that Budapest has hosted the Danube Commission since 1954; the commission has overseen affairs related to the river for 71 years as the official international organisation of the Belgrade Convention signed in 1948. He recalled that the commission’s primary purpose was to oversee the rebuilding of the bridges and infrastructure destroyed during the war and to ensure free navigation on the river, but today the cooperation of the eleven member states points beyond the original goals. According to UN data, the total population of the eleven signatory countries is more than 340 million, and their territories cover over 18 million square kilometres.

Mr Szijjártó stressed that three of Hungary’s most important trade partners and four of its five most significant export partners are members of the Danube Commission. The Danube is the world’s most international river, running through eight countries, and through its catchment area it is connected to almost twenty countries. Therefore, it is in Central Europe’s shared interest that the countries concerned use the opportunities of connection offered by the Danube in a responsible manner, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade pointed out. Mr Szijjártó welcomed the fact that the member states are seeking to review the convention adopted in 1948, and said it is an honour that Hungary holds the presidency of the preparatory committee for the diplomatic conference to be held for the purpose. Hungary encourages the continuation of intensive work, and supports international cooperation also in respect of inland navigation which could offer economic benefits also due to shorter transport times, he said.

Mr Szijjártó described Central Europe as the engine of Europe’s growth, adding that “it is time to further strengthen this with a modern, common Danube strategy as well”. In his address, the Foreign Minister paid tribute to (Mrs) Barsiné, Etelka Pataky who passed away last year; as government commissioner, she laid the foundations for the EU Strategy for the Danube Region adopted during Hungary’s EU presidency in 2011. There are four macro-regional strategies in the EU. In addition to the Strategy for the Danube Region, there are the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, and the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region, he said. He asked Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman, President of the Danube Commission, to closely monitor the Commission’s work during Croatia’s upcoming EU presidency starting on 1 January 2020.

(MTI)