Deputy Minister Pavleta Pelovska: The Greatest Achievements Are Accomplished When We Move in the Same Direction

Deputy Minister of Regional Development Participates in a Cross-Border Danube River Parade

The Danube is a natural bridge between our peoples - a bridge of history, culture, trade, and friendship. This was stated in Ruse by the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Pavleta Pelovska. Today, she officially launched the first edition of the cross-border event "Danube Parade – Two Flags, One River."
Addressing Bulgarian and international guests, Deputy Minister Pelovska noted that the name of the event carries a powerful message: two countries, but one river that does not divide us - it unites us. She expressed confidence that, in the years to come, this inaugural edition of the parade will be remembered as the event that laid the foundations for even closer cooperation between the communities on both sides of the river.
The Deputy Minister pointed out that the Danube has always been much more than a geographical border. It is an exceptional natural asset, a major European transport corridor, a driver of economic development, and a region with significant tourism potential. All of this creates a shared responsibility for every country along its course, she stressed.
That is why the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works regards the development of the Danube Region as a strategic priority. "Our goal is to improve connectivity, develop modern infrastructure, and create more opportunities for people and businesses, so that the river can become an even stronger driver of economic and social development," Pelovska said. At the same time, she emphasized that no strategy has real value without the people who turn it into reality. "Today's parade is a perfect example of that," she added.
Deputy Minister Pelovska congratulated the organisers from Ruse and Giurgiu for their initiative, stressing that they have demonstrated that European cooperation begins not only with agreements and programmes, but also with shared ideas and common causes.
"Let us continue to build not only bridges of concrete and steel, but also bridges of trust, partnership, and friendship. Because when we stand together, the Danube is not a border - it is our shared path forward. Rivers know no borders. They connect lands, peoples, and destinies. Let the Danube continue to remind us that the greatest achievements are accomplished when we move in the same direction," she concluded.
The first cross-border "Danube Parade – Two Flags, One River" featured a river procession with more than 200 boats and jet skis, an aerobatic air show, and live concerts.
The event was organised to mark Danube Day and forms part of the calendar of the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. Participants also included the Mayors of Ruse and Giurgiu, Pencho Milkov and Adrian Anghelescu, Deputy Minister of Tourism Georgi Todorov, Bulgaria's Ambassador to Romania Radko Vlaykov, as well as representatives of local and national institutions and organisations from both sides of the border.