Bulgaria Urges EU Again to Help End Greek Border Blockade

Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Kuneva. File photo by BGNES

Bulgaria has again asked the EU to help put an end to a blockade of the country’s border with Greece by Greek farmers protesting against the new austerity measures planned by the government in Athens.

Everyone is free to protest but this should in no way infringe on the right to free movement of goods and people in the EU, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Kuneva said at a meeting of the General Affairs Council of the EU in Brussels on Tuesday, according to a Bulgarian government statement.

Bulgarian cargo transport companies suffer considerable losses from the blockade of the crossings at the country’s border with Greece, now in its fourth week, Kuneva said.  

European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans said that the EU executive is keeping in touch with the Greek authorities on daily basis and receive information about the state of play on the border with Bulgaria.

Greece is expected to inform the European Commission on Wednesday about the situation at the crossings of its border with Bulgaria and put forward proposals how to resolve the issue, according to the statement.

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borisov called on the Commission last week to take measures within its powers to normalize traffic along the North-South transport corridor running through the two neighbouring EU member states.

Bulgarian truck drivers launched a counter-blockade at the Kulata checkpoint on the border with Greece on Tuesday after Greek farmers failed to keep their promise to lift the blockade for several hours a day to prevent the queuing of trucks on both sides of the border.

 

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