Greek Farmers Renew Bulgaria Border Blockade..

Photo by BGNES
Click to enlarge..(Photo by BGNES)
February 2, 2010 - The protesting Greek farmers continued Saturday, January 30th the blockade at cross border points between Bulgaria and Greece, despite earlier promises they will be lifted during the weekend.

At 5 pm, Kulata-Promahon closed for all traffic, including tractor-trailers, cars and buses. Earlier during the day only cars and buses were let through. A line of 200 tractor-trailers is reported at the cross border point Saturday evening. The other 3 crossing points are open for the time being. The Ilinden-Eksohi one was also closed for all traffic during the day, Capitan Petko Voyvoda-Ormenion was closed until noon. The only fully open border point is the one at Zlatograd, but the road there is not accessible for tractor-trailers.

On Thursday, January 28th Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov, announced he had received assurances from Athens that Greece will bring an end to the problem by the weekend.

According to estimates, Bulgaria's businesses loose at least EUR 3 M a day over the continuing protests. The farmers demand increase of the EU tobacco subsidies, tax reduction for cotton and grain growers, preferential prices for fuel used in farming, easier loan lending terms, and extending EU subsidies beyond 2013.

Reference: Greek Farmers Renew Bulgaria Border Blockade, Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency), 1/30/2010.

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