Because of protests by Greek farmers: The lorry queue at the Kulata crossing is nearly 10 km long

Second day of blockades on the Bulgarian–Greek border routes amid protests by Greek farmers. More than 100 pieces of heavy machinery have been positioned on the Greek side of the Promachon crossing. Because of the blockades, queues of heavy goods vehicles on the Struma motorway stretch for nearly 10 kilometres. Passenger-car traffic is moving normally. Bulgarian border authorities are in constant talks with their Greek counterparts to allow freight lorries through in stages.

It has been a gruelling 24 hours at the Promachon–Kulata border crossing. The queue of lorries waiting overnight to enter Greece has reached eight and a half kilometres. Many visibly frustrated drivers say they have almost no information about what is happening.

Aleksandar Dimitrov, travelling from Greece to Bulgaria:
“We’ve been waiting six hours. We didn’t know there would be a blockade here, but the people have their reasons. Still, we didn’t know, and we need to get home. We’ve loaded vegetables, our families are waiting, we need to get back — that’s how it is.”

“It’s having a very negative impact on business. Bear in mind that much of the produce — including agricultural goods transported in refrigerated lorries — needs to be moved somehow. At the moment the lorries are stuck and the farmers themselves aren’t selling their produce. It affects everyone. The previous series of farmers’ protests resulted in losses estimated at around 20 million euros in a single week — which is very significant.”

Vasilios, a farmer from Serres:
“We will continue to protest until we receive all the subsidies for our fields. We’ve suffered huge losses because of the damage we’ve faced. We cannot endure any longer — the holidays are coming. How are we supposed to feed our families? No one cares.”

The Border Police told BNT they have no information on when freight traffic will begin to move again.

Chief Inspector Stoycho Trayanov, Director of the Border Police Unit in Petrich:
“At present, the Kulata–Promachon crossing is closed only to freight traffic leaving Bulgaria and entering Greece. It remains open for all other vehicles — cars and light commercial buses. Freight lorries travelling from Greece into Bulgaria are also being allowed through. We are in constant negotiations with the Greek authorities to arrange the passage of freight vehicles outward, or at the very least to open timed ‘windows’ for staged crossings. Last night freight traffic entering Bulgaria from Greece was also halted, but movement for cars and light vehicles was not interrupted. Yesterday afternoon, when the Greek farmers attempted to move from the Serres area to Promachon, the Greek authorities closed the checkpoint to all vehicles, but once the farmers settled at the crossing at around 17:00, it was reopened for cars, light vehicles and buses. There are more than 100 pieces of agricultural machinery gathered below — mainly tractors. We don’t know what will happen; we remain in continuous contact with the Greek authorities, either directly or via the coordination centre.”