Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina mr. sc. On November 3, 2026, Josip Brkić participated in the meeting of ministers responsible for the regional development of the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) in Sofia, held as part of the 15th annual forum of this strategy.
In his address, Deputy Minister Brkić emphasized the importance of macro-regional cooperation in dealing with common challenges and emphasized how the events and crises faced by the Danube region during the past decade had a direct impact on security, energy, agriculture, transport, tourism and the economic development of the countries of the region. Speaking about the role of the EU Strategy for the Danube region, deputy Brkić assessed that its four pillars and eleven priority areas provide a comprehensive framework for the cooperation of fourteen countries, harmonization of policies and joint action in the areas of transport connectivity, sustainable energy, environmental protection, water quality and safety, and economic and social development. He particularly warned about demographic challenges and the consequences of climate change. In this context, he pointed to the extremely severe drought during the summer of 2026 and the record low water levels of the Danube and its tributaries. He emphasized that the strengthening of international and cross-sectoral cooperation and stronger support from the European Union are key to increasing the climate resilience of the Danube region.
He referred to the importance of the EU Strategy for the Danube region in the context of European integration and the enlargement process. At the same time, he reiterated that the membership of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European Union remains one of the key foreign policy priorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Gradual integration into the policies, programs and initiatives of the European Union is a welcome form of preparation for membership, but not its replacement. In this sense, he noted the importance of the document “Guidelines 2026 – Alignment of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region with the EU budget for the period 2028-2034: Achieving European priorities in the Danube region”, which recognizes support for the enlargement of the European Union through macro-regional cooperation as one of the strategic priorities, as well as the document “Guidelines for Advocacy and Strategic Orientations”, which highlights the importance of EU enlargement, cooperation with candidate countries and territorial cohesion.
At the end of his address, Deputy Minister Brkić congratulated the Republic of Bulgaria on the successful presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, and wished the Republic of Croatia much success during the upcoming presidency.
