•  In addition to the 83 million people that live in the river basin, Danube is home to 47 cities and 10 countries, passing through 4 national capitals (Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade) and 20 cities only in Romania,  •  There are 120 tributaries that drain 805,000 square kilometers of basin into the Danube river, the most prominent and fully navigable being Inn, Drava, Morava, Tisa, Sava and Prut rivers. •  Danube played a vital role in the settlement and political evolution of central and southeastern Europe. Its banks, lined with castles and fortresses, formed the boundary between great empires, and its waters served as a vital commercial highway between nations. •  The river’s majesty has long been celebrated in music, poetry, painting and other forms of art. It inspired famous artists such as the Strauss family, the Danube School of painters, Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt, etc. The Danube Delta includes exceptional habitats and globally important species of flora and fauna (including the white pelican and the Beluga sturgeon). It has been explored by many scientists. Perhaps, the most complete survey of the river was carried out by Captain Jacques Cousteau and a team of forty European researchers and experts, from 1990 to 1992. They investigated the problems linked to energy, pollution, navigation and the protection of natural areas. The outcome was a large amount of conclusions that were distributed to over a thousand scientists, decision-makers and journalists. It had specific recommendations for each country involved.
To refer only to big projects some have been finalized, as it is the case of the Danube-Black Sea Canal, which runs from Cernavodă, on the Danube, to Constanţa (southern arm, as main branch), and to Năvodari (northern arm), on the Black Sea. Other big projects are still in progress, such as the Danube–Bucharest Canal, a 73-kilometre long canal project that is planned to link Bucharest to the Danube via Argeş River. Thus, at the completion of this project Danube could become home for five capitals, including Bucharest. This conference has two main objectives. One is to bring together Romanian financial sector representatives and project initiators; the other one is to find appropriate financial instruments to better highlight the remarkable business potential of the lower Danube basin. I do hope this conference is going to offer you all the opportunity for successful networking and may you find appropriate solutions for vital issues regarding the agenda. I desire you all success with the materialization and accomplishment of your present and future projects and I conclude by wishing all the foreign guests at this conference a good stay in Romania. I am now giving the floor to Mr Kurt Puchinger, Coordinator of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region and chair of the first session, to start the conference. Thank you. 2  BIS central bankers’ speeches