The Republic of Macedonia has been admitted to the Danube Commission under an observer status by an unanimous decision of the 11 member-states of this international organization.

The Budapest-based Commission made the decision yesterday at its 79. session.

Addressing the Commission members, Macedonia's Ambassador to Hungary Darko Angelov extended gratitude for the admission, underling the interest of Macedonian authorities to bolster the trade cooperation with the all countries of the Danube River Basin by combined road, rail and river transportation for access to markets of the Danube Commission member countries and the European one.

The Danube Commission is an international intergovernmental organization established by the Convention regarding the regime of navigation on the Danube River signed in Belgrade on 18 August 1948. The main objectives of its activity are to provide and develop free navigation on the Danube for the commercial vessels flying the flag of all states in accordance with interests and sovereign rights of the member states of the Belgrade Convention, as well as to strengthen and develop economic and cultural relations of the said states among themselves and with the other countries.

The Commission members are: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Germany, Moldova, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine.