site.btaPrime Minister Borissov Orders Joint Police, Military Training in Border Regions Subject to Strongest Migration Pressure

Prime Minister Borissov Orders Joint Police, Military Training in Border Regions Subject to Strongest Migration Pressure

Sofia, March 2 (BTA) - Prime Minister Boyko Borissov assigned during Cabinet's meeting on Wednesday to the ministers of defence and interior to conduct a joint training in border regions subject to the strongest migration pressure, so that they can coordinate their actions to counter it, the Government press service reported. The measure is needed following the latest amendments to the Defence and Armed Forces Act, which allow servicemen to participate in border protection.

Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev noted that such a training has already been planned, to which Borissov replied: "If it has been planned, then launch a drill, so you can see both how they act under such conditions and how they will interact with the border police officers. Use these holidays, because they are not days off for the refugees. The population, especially down along Petrich and Sandanski (southwestern Bulgaria) is already bristled. Talk to the mayors, the regional governor, gather everyone and check how they work as structures and units," Borissov recommended.

The Prime Minister commented that the foreign and finance ministers also must be on standby regarding those issues and provide assistance where needed. "If they enter, we must be ready to keep them in once place before returning them, so that they do not scatter. But, use the weather today and tomorrow and do it! Because you see, they are already walking around with photographers, with TV channels, with lawyers, with NGOs, and at one point the countries which are trying to keep their territories from being legally violated, will turn out to be the guilty ones. We must not be in that situation," Borissov commented.

The Prime Minister voiced support for the Defence Minister's decision to suspend the public procurement for renewing the Ministry's car fleet. "I am glad you're watching your ministries, because the procurements could be made by the administrations, but in the end everything comes back to us," he said, urging the ministers to be uncompromising when checking (public procurements) and "if something could be done better, do it better".