Bulgaria requested information from Serbia regarding publications about building a fence at the border

By order of Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva, our diplomatic service requested an explanation from the authorities of the Republic of Serbia regarding publications in the Serbian media that the government will build a fence on the border with Bulgaria. This was announced by the press office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 21.

Special Envoy Ivan Petkov spoke with Serbian Ambassador to Sofia Zeljko Jovic, who said his government had not decided to erect a fence on the border with Bulgaria, nor was any work being done to prepare for such a facility.

The Bulgarian Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia Radko Vlaikov held a conversation with Milos Popovic, Chief of Staff of the Serbian Prime Minister Ms. Ana Brnabic. He confirmed that there is no such decision and Bulgaria will be notified in advance if such plans are discussed in the future.

In the talks of our diplomats it was emphasized that the border of Bulgaria with Serbia is extremely strictly guarded by the Border Police of the Republic of Bulgaria as an external border of the EU. In the first half of the year, 211 illegal migrants were detained by the Bulgarian authorities at the exit of the "green" border with Serbia.

During the state of emergency in the Republic of Serbia, an Ordinance on measures during the state of emergency was adopted, which lists the measures taken by the authorities to combat the spread of coronavirus. Art. 3 'b' provided for that in order to prevent the spread of the infection, as well as the mass illegal crossing of the state border, the temporary seizure of the right to use land properties owned by individuals and legal entities along the border line with the Republic of North Macedonia and the Republic of Bulgaria is allowed.. The decision for temporary seizure of the right of use is taken by the Ministry of Finance on the proposal of the Republican Property Directorate of the Republic of Serbia.

The ordinance expired on May 6th, 2020, with the abolition of the state of emergency in the country by law of the National Assembly of Serbia. The available data in the Republican Directorate for Property of Serbia show that such a measure was not applied to land properties on the border with Bulgaria, but only on the border with the Republic of North Macedonia.