site.btaUPDATED Interior Minister: Bulgaria Is Reliable Partner in European Commission Initiatives to Deal with Natural Disasters

Bulgaria is a reliable partner in the European Commission's initiatives to tackle natural disasters, Minister of Interior Daniel Mitov said on Monday during a ceremony to award the Firefighter of the Year 2024 prizes.

Mitov noted that for the third consecutive year Bulgaria is sending forces and resources to tackle the fires in neighbouring Greece. In his words, Bulgaria's participation in the Union's civil protection mechanism is of utmost importance for the effective fight against disasters.

"It is important in emergency situations to react with solidarity, not only to countries in the European Union, but also to those outside it", Mitov said. "International assistance was important for us in the moments when Bulgaria was facing some of the worst forest fires in its modern history," he added.

Mitov further said that a factor in controlling the fires in the country was the help from countries like France, Spain and Turkiye, as well as everyone on the front line. The minister assured that hard work was being done to provide all the necessary resources for the work and safety of firefighters and rescuers.

"Last year was extremely difficult from an operational point of view," added the head of the Interior Ministry's General Directorate for Fire Safety and Population Protection, Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov. "Without the help of the air force, ground troops and volunteers, we would not have managed," he said.

Senior Commissioner Vasil Dimov, Director of the Regional Directorate of Fire Safety and Population Protection - Plovdiv, was named Firefighter of the Year at the ceremony. Dimov received recognition for his leadership of the teams that fought forest fires in the Plovdiv region. 

In view of the winter situation in the early morning, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov ordered the Ministry of Interior to start checks on the roads, the Interior Minister told a briefing.

Mitov assured that officials are already actively engaged in carrying out the checks. The aim is to improve traffic safety.

"Because of the snowfall, the prime minister ordered to start road checks, especially on heavy vehicles that are driving with worn-out tyres," Minister Mitov said. "These vehicles make traffic difficult. There will also be fines for violators," he added.

Earlier today, the press service of the Council of Ministers said that the prime minister had ordered 24-hour monitoring of roads due to the complicated situation and snowfall. The provision also includes strict compliance of road clearance and maintenance commitments.