site.btaBulgaria Requests Information from Serbia Regarding Construction of Fence along the Border, Serbia Denies Having Such Plans

Sofia, August 21 (BTA) - By order of Deputy Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, the Bulgarian diplomatic
service requested an explanation from Serbian authorities
regarding Serbian media reports that the government would build
a fence along the border with Bulgaria, said the press centre of
 the Foreign Ministry on Friday.

Special Envoy Ambassador Ivan Petkov spoke with Serbian
Ambassador to Sofia Zeljko Jovic, who said his government has
nod made any such decision to erect a fence along the border
with Bulgaria, nor was any work being done to prepare for such a
 facility.

Bulgaria's Ambassador to Serbia, Radko Vlaykov, held talks with
Milos Popovic, the chief of staff to Serbian Prime Minister Ana
Brnabic. He confirmed that there is no such decision for
Bulgaria and, if such a decision is discussed in the future, the
 Bulgarian side will be notified in advance.

In the talks Bulgarian diplomats  emphasized that the border
between Bulgaria and Serbia is strictly guarded by the Bulgarian
 Border Police as an external border of the EU. For the first
half of the year, 211 illegal migrants were detained by the
Bulgarian authorities at the border with Serbia.

Later in the day, Serbian authorities officially responded to
the request from the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry at the behest of
 Minister Zaharieva. The response, reported by BNT, confirms
that the government of Serbia has not made any decision to erect
 a fence on the border with Bulgaria and no activities are being
 carried out for the preparation of such a facility. RI,NV/DT