In brief
On 28 Oct 2026, Bulgaria’s Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev requested Hungary to open navigation corridors on the Danube so that Bulgarian vessels stranded in Hungarian waters for two months could continue their journeys. The call came after the Bulgarian Danube Chamber urged the minister, and a phone conversation with Hungary’s Minister of Transport and Investment David Vitezy focused on securing time slots for passage. The Bulgarian government warned it would appeal to European institutions if a timely solution is not reached.
On 28 Oct 2026, Bulgaria’s Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev urged Hungary to open navigation corridors on the Danube to allow Bulgarian ships stranded in Hungarian waters for two months to proceed.
Early that day, the Bulgarian Danube Chamber in Ruse contacted Peev and Deputy Foreign Minister Hristo Polendakov with the problem, prompting a call between Peev and Hungary’s Minister of Transport and Investment David Vitezy that centred on securing time slots for vessel passage.
Peev also met with members of the Danube Chamber and vessel owners, who asserted that the river is navigable in the relevant section and that the blockage stems from Hungarian restrictions imposed for dredging activities.
The ministry said the Bulgarian government is monitoring the situation and is prepared to raise the issue with European institutions if a timely solution is not found.
