Greek Farmers Renew Bulgaria Border Blockade

Trucks line at the Bulgarian border point with Greece in Kulata, some 180 km South from Sofia, after the Greek farmers blocked the border cross point again Saturday. Photo by BGNES

Over 150 tractor-trailers are waiting in line at the Kulata-Promahon border cross point between Bulgaria and Greece.

The information was reported Saturday by the Chief of the Regional Border Services in Smolyan. Cars and buses are passing through, but trucks have been halted all through the night. The Kulata border point continues to be blocked for trucks Saturday morning.

The other border cross point Capitan Petko Voyvoda-Ormenion had been closed several times during the night - from 12 am to 2 am and from 4 am to 6 am., but due to the light traffic in the area lines are not reported there.

The other two crossing points – Ilinden-Eksohi and Zlatograd are open for all traffic.

On Thursday, Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov, announced after talks with the Greek Deputy Energy Minister, that Greece had made the commitment to solve the problem with the Greek farmers' border blockades by the weekend.

According to estimates, Bulgaria's businesses loose at least EUR 3 M a day over the continuing protests.

The farmers demand increase of the EU tobacco subsidies, tax reduction for cotton and grain growers, preferential prices for fuel used in farming, easier loan lending terms, and extending EU subsidies beyond 2013.

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