Bulgarian, Serbian Military Discuss Progress in Joint Action against Irregular Migration  

Senior officers of Bulgarian and Serbian armed forces have met to discuss possibilities for deepening the cooperation in ensuring the protection of the border between the two Balkan neighbours against irregular migration.

Bulgaria’s Deputy Chief of Defence Major General Plamen Atanasov met with Lieutenant General Jovica Draganic, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Army, near Kalotina checkpoint, the Defence Ministry in Sofia said in a statement on Wednesday.

“They discussed the current situation along the Bulgarian-Serbian border and the measures taken by both sides to prevent a flow of illegal migrants,” the Defence Ministry said.

Atanasov and Draganic expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved so far and agreed continue the “good interaction between the armed forces of Bulgaria and Serbia” in ensuring the security of the common border, according to the statement.

Serbia's government last week approved the establishment of joint teams of army and police presonnel that would be deployed at the country’s borders with Bulgaria and Macedonia to control the inflow of migrants. Up to 300 migrants had reached Belgrade on a daily basis after having crossed into Serbia from Bulgaria in the week ended July 24, according to a Serbian NGO.

The Bulgarian Army has deployed  personnel and equipment to assist police in protecting the country’s southern border with Turkey against an increase in migration pressure.

Bulgarian border police said last Wednesday that it had detained 45 irregular migrants who tried to cross into Serbia. Of those migrants, 30 were Afghan nationals, 13 were from Pakistan, and two from Iran.

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