Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration and Minister of Science and Technological Development Bozidar Djelic announced today that the European Commission will most likely forward the full text of the Danube Strategy to the European Council on 9 December.

Opening the 21st international scientific convention “The Danube – A River of Cooperation” at the Institute of International Politics and Economy, Djelic emphasised that the Strategy will probably be officially adopted in the first half of 2011, during Hungary’s EU presidency.

He stressed that the Danube has huge potential for Serbia and that the Danube Strategy is an important document for European countries as well, since it may offer a possible answer to the crisis which has struck the whole of Europe.

Djelic remarked that over 100 million people live along the Danube and that countries such as Finland, Sweden, Italy and Spain, which possess various resources in technology, energy and infrastructure construction, are also interested in the Strategy.

The Deputy Prime Minister recalled that at a high level meeting on 27 September in Belgrade, dedicated to this Strategy, agreement was reached to draft a mechanism for financing the Danube Strategy in the period 2011–2013, to ensure that the existing funds are better utilised.