site.btaBulgarian Foreign Ministry Informs European Commission about Greek Border Blockade

Bulgarian Foreign Ministry Informs European Commission about Greek Border Blockade

Sofia, February 3 (BTA) - Amid an ongoing blockade at the border passes between Bulgaria and Greece, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry informed the European Commission about the situation in an official letter, asking the Commission to help solve the problem as soon as possible. The letter was delivered via Bulgaria's Permanent Representation to the EU, the Foreign Ministry reported on Wednesday.

The letter accused Greece of failing to perform its obligations as regards fundamental freedoms in the EU, such as the free movement of people and goods between member states. Bulgaria called on the Commission to take urgent action in keeping with EU law.

Meanwhile, Bulgarian Interior Minister Roumyana Buchvarova said in Parliament that the Greek authorities have assured Bulgaria they will avert further spreading of the farmer strikes which have caused the border blockade.

Inside Bulgaria, the Interior Ministry is diverting the traffic bound to closed border checkpoints to alternative routes so as to prevent waiting of trucks at the border crossings, Buchvarova said.

On Tuesday, the matter was also discussed in a telephone conversation between Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and during a meeting between the Bulgarian Transport Ministry and Greek Ambassador to Sofia Dimosthenis Stoidis.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry issued a recommendation to Bulgarian nationals travelling to Greece to avoid places where mass public events, such as rallies and processions, are taking place. Transport companies and people travelling by car should take the current situation into account when planning their trips, given the expected closure of the main roads into major Greek cities and the big traffic jams in and outside these cities.

The Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it is issuing force majeure certificates to companies affected by the blockade.