site.btaBulgaria Thanks Turkey's Edirne Province for Cooperation in Protecting Common Border

Bulgaria Thanks Turkey's Edirne Province for Cooperation in Protecting Common Border

Istanbul, October 17 (BTA exclusive by Nahide Deniz) - Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Roumyana Buchvarova visited the northwestern Turkish city of Edirne on October 16 to confer with the Governor of Edirne Province, Dursun Ali Sahin, and other provincial and local government officials.

Buchvarova thanked her hosts for their cooperation in protecting the Turkish-Bulgarian border and promoting bilateral trade and economic relations. She said Bulgaria's cooperation with Turkey can serve as a model for the EU. "We have been cooperating very fruitfully in the field of border security, the protection of migrants and the security of border checkpoints," Buchvarova said.

Sahin told journalists that during his talks with Buchvarova he raised the question of the construction of a razor wire fence on the Bulgarian side of the common border. Sahin said: "We are of the opinion that Bulgaria should not put up a wall on our border. We insisted it should be removed. Originally the fence was intended to be a temporary structure, but with time it became a permanent facility. The Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister told us that the project had been started by the previous government and it is the task of the current government to complete it. Mrs Buchvarova expressed the gratitude of the Bulgarian authorities for the efforts we have made in Edirne to deal with the refugee crisis."

Asked by a journalist about Bulgaria's plans concerning the border fence, Buchvarova said it will not be removed, because the Bulgarian Parliament has adopted a resolution about it. "It is being built as a precautionary measure against the refugees. The wall will not have an adverse impact on the friendly relations between Bulgaria and Turkey," she said.

The Edirne Governor also asked the Bulgarian authorities to provide assistance in preventing floods which often cause great damage in the area.