05.06.2024
“A contractor is to be selected within a month to revamp Kapitan Andreevo border-crossing checkpoint.” This was announced by Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev when he visited Kapitan Andreevo. It is planned to expand the point in two aspects: first, the existing border-crossing checkpoint; and next, a second terminal to be added near the existing point. The Prime Minister has ordered to speed up work to expand the two other checkpoints on the border with Türkiye – that at Lessovo and that at Malko Turnovo – and it is expected that soon good progress would be made there as well.
The Prime Minister was firm that Bulgaria’s good cooperation with Türkiye can serve as a basis to modernize all the border-crossing checkpoints of the country.
Migration pressure is reported to have significantly gone down as a result of the excellent work between Bulgaria and Türkiye. Attempts to cross illegally the border with Türkiye have dropped by over 70%, the Prime Minister said further. Earlier it was reported to the Prime Minister that between 1 January and 31 May 2024, over 16,000 individuals attempted to enter illegally the country as they crossed the Bulgarian-Turkish border and this makes 71% of the figure valid for last year’s period of the same duration. A total of 15,333 individuals withdrew on their own will back to inland Türkiye after they came upon Bulgarian patrols and guards posted along the border.
The Prime Minister’s tour of the border-crossing checkpoint included the Joint Contact Center for Police and Customs Cooperation between and among Bulgaria, Greece and Türkiye as one of the most important elements of tripartite cooperation in border protection, the fight against illicit migration, the counteraction to meet the trafficking in human beings, smuggling and customs violations. “The Center is really an example of how joint actions achieve results,” the Prime Minister noted.
Minister Koritarova announced to the media that the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works would ensure the connection with an expressway between the border-crossing checkpoints Lessovo and Kapitan Andreevo so that both points can be approached in the event of busy traffic. “A transport analysis is being made to identify the best option for the choice of a project to be implemented with a time horizon of 50 years from now,” the Regional Minister said further.
At the end of his visit to the region, the Prime Minister was shown the protection of “the green border” with Turkey.
The inspection was joined by the Ambassador of Türkiye to Bulgaria H. E. Mr. Mehmet Sait Uyanık, the Minister of Interior Kalin Stoyanov, the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Violeta Koritarova, the Director General of the National Customs Agency Georgi Dimov and the Director of Border Police General Directorate Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov.
