Border Police Receive 213 New Vehicles and 88 Cameras

The General Directorate Border Police (GDBP) has received 125 standard patrol vehicles, 70 off-road vehicles, seven passenger cars, seven minibuses, four buses and 88 cameras.

The new equipment has been delivered under projects with a total value of €10.5 million, the Border Police said on June 9.

Ivan Demerdzhiev, Minister of the Interior:

“We are performing our responsibilities for safeguarding the country’s borders and the external borders of the European Union extremely successfully. We are seeing the results of our efforts, and this gives me confidence that the processes within the Ministry of the Interior can develop much more effectively and that we can continue to achieve the results we are delivering today.”

Ivan Demerdzhiev, Minister of the Interior:

“In 2022, when I took office as caretaker Minister of the Interior, we realised that unless we significantly improved the technical capabilities deployed along Bulgaria’s border, particularly the Bulgarian-Turkish border, it would be impossible to guarantee the security of either Bulgaria or the countries of Europe.

We made considerable efforts in our discussions with our partners in the European Union. I am pleased that our appeal was heard and that today we are already seeing some of the results of that understanding and solidarity. They recognised our commitment and readiness to protect the Union’s external border in a reliable and effective manner.”

Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, Director of the General Directorate Border Police:

“With the vehicles delivered today, the total number added over the past three years has exceeded 700, and only now are we reaching the staffing and equipment levels we require.

We must not allow this process to stop, otherwise we risk creating the same ‘vacuum’ that existed in the past. Nor should we ease the pressure on our European partners. We need to improve not only the quantity of equipment available to us, but also the quality of our work.

This positive trend in strengthening our reputation must not slow down, diminish or stagnate. As leaders, we can now feel reassured that we have provided our officers with everything necessary to carry out their duties effectively.”

Source: BTA