site.btaDefence Minister Yanev: We Have Readiness to Protect State Border

Defence Minister Yanev: We Have Readiness to Protect State Border

Malko Turnovo, Southeast Bulgaria, March 18 (BTA) - "We have readiness to protect the State border, but given the current situation in the country, no additional measures are planned right now to increase the number of personnel," Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Stefan Yanev told journalists here on Saturday.
He added that the situation along the Bulgarian borders is calm, while the number of illegal border crossing attempts has dropped in the past two months.

Minister and Yanev and Interior Minister Plamen Uzunov visited the border checkpoint near the town of Malko Turnovo. The two inspected from the air the border along the fence and acquainted themselves with the border checkpoint's condition. Some 200 military personnel are currently working jointly with border police officers.

Some 12 km of fence remain to be built in the southeastern region of Haskovo and another 12 in the coastal region of Bourgas. The fence should be completed by mid-May, said Yanev.

A group of five foreigners and their Bulgarian trafficker were detained in the region of Rezovo, near the border with Turkey, on Friday night, said Uzunov. He added that the situation along the border is calm and it is just the political talk that makes it seem strange.

A total of 160 illegal border crossing attempts were established in 2016, compared to just 17 since the start of this year.