In brief
After Bulgarian ships have been stranded for two months in Hungarian Danube waters, Bulgaria’s Minister of Transport Georgi Peev called on Hungary to open navigation corridors. The request follows pressure from the Bulgarian Danube Chamber citing dredging restrictions as the cause. If resolved, the issue may remain within bilateral talks, but the Bulgarian government warns it could raise the matter in European institutions if no timely solution is found.
Bulgaria’s Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev urged on Wednesday that Hungary should open Danube navigation corridors, allowing Bulgarian vessels that have been stranded for two months in Hungarian waters to move forward. The call came after pressure from the Bulgarian Danube Chamber (BDC) in Ruse, which has cited restrictions imposed by Hungary‑related dredging activities as blocking the ships.
The BDC had earlier reached out to Peter’s Minister and Deputy Foreign Minister Hristo Polendakov on the same day, stressing the urgency of the situation for vessel owners and the river’s commercial traffic.
Peev held a phone conversation with Hungary’s Minister of Transport and Investment David Vitezy, during which the pair discussed securing time slots for Bulgarian ships to pass. The focus of the call was to negotiate access that would permit the vessels to clear the blocked section of the Danube.
During the discussion, BDC members and vessel owners expressed the view that the river segment in question remained navigable. They argued that the primary impediment was Hungary’s restriction imposed while dredging works were ongoing.
According to the Ministry’s statement, Bulgaria is monitoring the situation closely and is prepared to bring it before European institutions should a timely solution not materialize. The government signals its readiness to engage at the EU level if bilateral negotiations stall.
The notification from the Bulgarian side follows a pattern in which Danube‑linked trade disputes surface periodically, often hinging on dredging schedules and navigation corridor availability. Such incidents can raise questions about inter‑state responsibilities along international waterways.
For Bulgarian shipping companies, the blockage delays delivery schedules and temporarily drains operational budgets. While the extent of economic impact is not quantified in the statement, the minister hinted at broader concerns over trade disruptions within the Danube corridor.
The BDC’s earlier outreach included calls to open up specific time periods for Hungarian vessels, aiming at a coordinated solution that would allow both parties to resume regular traffic along the shared waterway.
Hungary’s response to the request is not included in the Bulgarian source. As a result, only the Bulgarian perspective is documented in the available material, making it an open diplomatic question whether any agreement has yet been reached.
If the ruling and regulatory frameworks remain unchanged, Bulgaria expects its vessels to approach the EU’s institutional mechanisms soon, ensuring that disputes over Danube navigation do not hinder commerce on an international scale.
