Slovakia will take over the presidency of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) at the UN headquarters in Vienna. After last year’s Serbian presidency, Slovakia will preside over ICPDR through 2009, SITA newswire wrote.
During the year of its presidency, Slovakia wants to work on improving the quality of water and on preparing action plans in the event of flood emergency in the area of Danube’s flow. Among the priorities will be the early and proper implementation of the EU framework directive about water.
"In connection with the ICPDR presidency Slovakia will organize negotiations of the Permanent Working Group of ICPDR and also other activities connected with the work of the commission – such as seminars, conferences, workshops, meetings of working groups and so on," said Peter Višváder, the spokesman of the environment ministry, to SITA.
The Slovak presidency will be led by Oľga Sršňová, the general director of the section of water and energy resources of the SR Ministry of Environment, SITA reported.
ICPDR was formed from the initiative of the Danubian states and the European Union. The presidency of the Commission rotates in alphabetical order among the signatories of the Agreement for the Protection of the Danube River. In 2010, Slovakia will hand the presidency over to Slovenia.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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