A two-day international workshop on tackling domestic violence has opened at the InterContinental hotel in Sofia, with representatives from 14 countries in the Danube region taking part, organisers say. The forum, called "Preventing and Combating Domestic Violence: Supporting the Danube Region Countries", is part of Bulgaria's presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region.

Alongside the foreign guests, representatives of Bulgarian institutions and organisations working on domestic violence prevention are also taking part. The event is hosted by the interior ministry and the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior, Sport and Integration.

The idea for the meeting was born back in early March this year, when only two Danube region countries were initially involved, Rosen Kukushev, director of the "European Union and International Cooperation" directorate at the interior ministry and Bulgaria's co-coordinator for the "Security" priority area under the Danube Strategy, said at the opening. The invitation later went out to all countries that wanted to take part in the strategy, he explained.

"Today's workshop reflects our joint work under the EU strategy for the Danube region," chief commissioner Emil Parmakov, director of the National Police General Directorate, said at the opening. He said the strategy aims to get countries along the Danube to align policies, resources and joint action so the region stays safe, connected and able to cope with change.

Parmakov said the interior ministry treats prevention of domestic violence as a serious matter every day. "In recent years it has become clear that domestic violence can no longer be seen only as a personal or family problem. We see a trend where domestic violence has a direct impact on public safety and order. That means the interior ministry has to treat domestic violence cases as a serious problem for society," he said.

He said a report of domestic violence should not be seen only as a reaction to a conflict that has already happened — behind it there is usually a pattern of violence that has been building up. Parmakov said prevention, spotting risk early and good coordination between institutions are among the most important parts of the Bulgarian police's work. "We want the police to respond quickly, based on a proper risk assessment, and in a way that actually helps victims of domestic violence," he said.

Parmakov said domestic violence knows no borders. The problems are similar across countries: high-risk cases are hard to spot, victims are hard to protect, and working with offenders is difficult. Institutions also struggle to stop further violence and to work well together. "Sharing experience across borders isn't just a nice option — it's something we need to do," he added.

"We're glad this forum found a place on the calendar of Bulgaria's presidency," said Darinka Parvanova, chief expert in the "European Coordination, International Cooperation and Analysis" department at the regional development ministry's directorate for public relations, protocol and international cooperation. She said domestic violence is not just a private or family matter, and tackling it means institutions have to work together — which is why sharing experience across borders matters so much.

Parvanova added that it was especially important for today's meeting to bring together the state and non-government groups in one place. Safety and the rule of law, she said, cannot be achieved by a single institution alone.

This year marks 15 years since the EU Strategy for the Danube Region began, Rafael Zaks, a representative of the Bulgarian Strategy Unit, noted. The unit acts as the secretariat for the Danube Strategy and coordinates work across its 12 priority areas.

Today's workshop is moderated by chief assistant Dr. Blagorodna Makeva from the interior ministry's academy. She said her work on domestic violence began years ago and has remained a key part of her career ever since. She said there is a need for better prevention, better protection for victims, and more effective prosecution and response when domestic violence cases are investigated.