The economic losses for Bulgaria and neighboring countries will be critical due to the blockade of the borders with Serbia and North Macedonia. This was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov during the "Sofia Economic Forum" today.
"Such blockades lead to very serious consequences not only for transport, but for the entire economy that depends on supplies," said Karadjov, quoted by BNT. According to him, the actions of carriers from the Western Balkans violate the basic European rights to the free movement of goods.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, the Minister of Transport specified that Bulgaria does not have the authority to solve the problem on its own. He directed the carriers to the European institutions, as the dispute is related to the new rules for entering the Schengen area.
"It is better to sit down and talk to the European institutions. Neither the government in Bulgaria, nor any other member state, has anything to do with this decision," Grozdan Karadjov added. He called on the European Commission to start negotiations as soon as possible in order to find a compromise until the borders are open.
The Deputy Prime Minister expressed serious concerns that his attempts to initiate "windows" for passage through the "Kalotina" and "Gueshevo" border checkpoints may prove unsuccessful. He acknowledged that local governments in Belgrade and Skopje are powerless to circumvent the carriers' right to strike without escalating tensions.
Currently, losses for carriers are estimated at tens of thousands of euros per day, and the risk of aftershocks on the prices of essential goods remains high.