site.btaPM Glavchev Discusses Heavy Traffic at Bulgarian-Turkish Border with Ankara's Ambassador Uyanık

Bulgaria’s caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev and newly appointed Turkish Ambassador to this country, Mehmet Sait Uyanik, will visit the Bulgarian-Turkish border at the Malko Tarnovo border control checkpoint in the coming days to discuss heavy traffic and congestion. This was agreed between the sides at a Council of Ministers meeting on Tuesday, which highlighted the need for joint coordinated efforts towards border crossing modernization and optimization. Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova, Deputy Interior Minister Toni Todorov and National Customs Agency Director Georgi Dimov also participated.

During the meeting, emphasis was placed on the urgent need for an active discussion on the issue, including at the expert level, in view of the serious congestion at the border. According to National Customs Agency data, the traffic flow from Turkiye to Bulgaria has increased by 50% in the last five years, and this trend is expected to continue.

Kapitan Andreevo-Kapikule is currently the second busiest border crossing in the world, with a prospect of becoming the busiest. Glavchev said that joint efforts and coordination are needed to achieve optimal results.

During the meeting, Glavchev highlighted the friendly relations between Bulgaria and Turkiye and their excellent interaction as NATO allies and good neighbours. He wished Ambassador Uyanik a successful and fruitful tenure. Glavchev also thanked the Turkish side for the measures taken to curb illegal migration. The caretaker Prime Minister also emphasized Bulgaria's position at the EU level in support of preserving, expanding, and intensifying all channels of communication between the EU and Turkiye. The potential for expanding bilateral cooperation in economy and investment, defence, energy, and tourism was also highlighted.