Ilinden–Exochi Border Crossing Closed to Lorries, Traffic Through Kulata–Promachon Again Suspended

Traffic at the Kulata–Promachon border crossing on the Bulgarian–Greek border has once again been halted in the direction of Greece. Restrictions also remain in place for heavy goods vehicles over 12 tonnes at the Ilinden–Exochi checkpoint, the Road Infrastructure Agency reported on December 4. Drivers are waiting on site.

The blockade on the Bulgarian–Greek border has continued for a second day due to protests by Greek farmers. More than 100 pieces of heavy machinery have been deployed on the Greek side of the Kulata–Promachon crossing. Because of the blockades, queues of heavy goods vehicles on the Struma motorway reached nearly 10 kilometres, although they began to shorten after midday.

Bulgarian border authorities remain in constant negotiations with their Greek counterparts to allow freight vehicles traffic through in stages.

The issue was also addressed by the Greek Prime Minister.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece:
“We are always ready for dialogue. But I also believe our farmers understand that extreme actions — prolonged closures of motorways and customs points, and the blocking of airports — do not help their cause. These measures create problems for other groups in society, particularly as the government has pledged that December will be a month of substantial support for farmers.”