Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Petar Dimitrov visited the village of Baikal, Municipality of Dolna Mitropolia, on the occasion of the Danube Day. The initiative included art painting, a presentation of a mobile laboratory for river water testing and a lecture by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tihomir Stefanov from the National Museum of Natural History - Sofia on the topic “Biodiversity of the Danube.” The event was also attended by Tsvetomira Hristova, Director of the Danube Region Basin Directorate, Stefan Tsanev, Director of RIEW-Pleven, and Georgi Marinishev, Mayor of Baikal.

“When we are all united by the common mission to protect the Danube, we will have a cleaner river and environment,” said the Deputy Minister.

Eng. Dimitrov pointed out that teachers like Ivo Dzhokin, the main organizer of the event, are important for children and our society, because they provide access in an interesting way to essential knowledge about water protection, biodiversity, and environmental components. He presented special certificates “A Friend of the Danube” to the participants in the event and assured that the MOEW and its regional structures will always support innovative projects.

The event was organized by the Municipality of Dolna Mitropolia, the Municipal Center for Extracurricular and Interest-driven Activities and - the village of Baikal, the City Hall of the village of Baikal, the “Probuda-1925” Community Center.

This year the campaign is organized under the motto "Discover the Danube".

The Danube Day is marked on June 29th - the date on which the Convention on Cooperation for the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Danube River was signed in Sofia. The organizer of the Danube Day campaign at European level is the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River.