All border checkpoints with Greece remain blocked

[Joanne98]

All three border checkpoints between Bulgaria and Greece have suspended operations because of road blockades by Greek farmers on the Greek side, Bulgarian border police said on January 26 2009.

Talks between Bulgarian and Greek authorities are continuing, so that at least part of the traffic to will be allowed to move, as it was on January 25.

Of the three checkpoints, Koulata-Promahon is the worst, border police said. More than 300 lorries are waiting in line at border checkpoints on Bulgarian territory, with transport companies already talking about millions of leva in losses because of the crisis. Some have reported 10 million leva in losses a day.

Greek farmers have been staging road blocades since January 22 to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with their government's current level of funding.

Travellers are advised to use Macedonia or Turkey if going to Greece, although there are reports that Greek farmers could try to block Greece's border checkpoints with these two countries as well.

Currently, the best place to cross into Greece is the Kapitan Petko-Ormenion border checkpoint, near the town of Svilengrad, where traffic is usually light; reports say that there were just 30 lorries waiting to be let through on the morning of January 26. According to border police, Greek farmers could decided to lift the blockade at this particular checkpoint as they have done before, but there is no clear information as to when, exactly, this could happen or for how long.

http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/all-border-checkpoints-with-greece-remain-blocked/id_34217/catid_68