28.04.2022

NICOLAE CHUCA: ROMANIA AND BULGARIA ARE CONSIDERING A DANUBE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Romania and Bulgaria are considering a program to develop the Danube River, a river of strategic importance for the transport of goods and people, Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Chuca said on a public television TYR last night. In the program, Chuka said that even before the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, there were talks with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria about the year-round use of the Danube River for freight transport.

We analyzed the possibility of finding a solution for dredging the Danube so that we can ensure traffic on the river throughout the year, because in summer, when the river level falls, there are thresholds that prevent the movement of barges, at least with heavy loads, said  Nicolae Chuca. He noted that this is the easiest and cheapest way to transport goods, as well as the most convenient, as it avoids incompatibilities between the railways in Romania and those in Ukraine and Moldova. "The Danube is a river that is of strategic importance in ensuring the transport of goods and not only, including passengers and tourists," said the Romanian Prime Minister.

He added that the Fast Danube program exists at EU level and talks have already been held with European Transport Commissioner Adina Valyan.

"On Friday, the Bulgarian Prime Minister will be in Bucharest and we will discuss the details so that we can use European funds for this purpose. This will be a project that will benefit not only Romania, but also a project that will allow us to get, for example, from Galati to Bremerhaven (Germany), said the Romanian Prime Minister.