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Sat, May 26 2012
Greek border police to shut all borders on February 4 and 5
Photo: Stoyan Nenov
Greek border police said they would join their country's farmers and launch a strike of their own, closing all Greek border points on February 4 and 5, Bulgarian media reported on February 3 2010..
This comes only a day after European Commission president Jose Manuel Barosso declared that the EC would implement "all legal means possible" to ensure that the movement of goods and services across the border is not obstructed.
Greek border police cited discontent with their government's policies on a number of issues, including taxation.
The Macedonian foreign ministry has received an official warning from the Greek border police that its borders will be shut for two days. No such warning was apparently given to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry.
The Romanian and Macedonian foreign ministries have warned their citizens to "avoid travelling to Greece" in response, Dnevnik daily reported.
While the blockade by Greek farmers and the strike by border police are not directly connected, both groups have expressed their disapproval with the Greek government.
Reportedly, the farmers no longer regard Greek agriculture minister Katerina Batzeli as a legitimate party in the negotiations. The apparent snub means that they now wish to have a direct channel of conversation with prime minister George Papandreou.
In a phone conversation on February 2, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov also told the EC president that if the crisis is not resolved soon, the Bulgarian Business National Association has threatened to shut the Greek border on February 3 2010.
In response, Barosso congratulated Borissov for his "constructive approach to the crisis" and promised that the EC will use "any legal means possible" to help end the problem.
In his assessment, Barosso believes that it would be "better to resolve the problem without lengthy legal procedures that would not be in the interest of any of the parties involved".
Meanwhile, 500 lorries are stuck at the Kulata-Promahon border, forming a queue of more than 10km, the Bulgarian news agency (BTA) was quoted as saying on February 3 2010.
In fact, the line of waiting lorries is reported to be longer on February 3 than it was on February 2. Private vehicles and buses are allowed to pass through the Ilinden and Exohi checkpoint where, for the time being, all traffic is able to pass freely.
Traffic is also normal at the Zlatograd- Xanthi and Captain P Voivoda and Ormenion checkpoints.
This comes only a day after European Commission president Jose Manuel Barosso declared that the EC would implement "all legal means possible" to ensure that the movement of goods and services across the border is not obstructed.
Greek border police cited discontent with their government's policies on a number of issues, including taxation.
The Macedonian foreign ministry has received an official warning from the Greek border police that its borders will be shut for two days. No such warning was apparently given to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry.
The Romanian and Macedonian foreign ministries have warned their citizens to "avoid travelling to Greece" in response, Dnevnik daily reported.
While the blockade by Greek farmers and the strike by border police are not directly connected, both groups have expressed their disapproval with the Greek government.
Reportedly, the farmers no longer regard Greek agriculture minister Katerina Batzeli as a legitimate party in the negotiations. The apparent snub means that they now wish to have a direct channel of conversation with prime minister George Papandreou.
In a phone conversation on February 2, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov also told the EC president that if the crisis is not resolved soon, the Bulgarian Business National Association has threatened to shut the Greek border on February 3 2010.
In response, Barosso congratulated Borissov for his "constructive approach to the crisis" and promised that the EC will use "any legal means possible" to help end the problem.
In his assessment, Barosso believes that it would be "better to resolve the problem without lengthy legal procedures that would not be in the interest of any of the parties involved".
Meanwhile, 500 lorries are stuck at the Kulata-Promahon border, forming a queue of more than 10km, the Bulgarian news agency (BTA) was quoted as saying on February 3 2010.
In fact, the line of waiting lorries is reported to be longer on February 3 than it was on February 2. Private vehicles and buses are allowed to pass through the Ilinden and Exohi checkpoint where, for the time being, all traffic is able to pass freely.
Traffic is also normal at the Zlatograd- Xanthi and Captain P Voivoda and Ormenion checkpoints.
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"Barosso's assessment" is obviously a joke.
Why don't all these sorry creatures
go block and protest in Athens?
Why don't they try and block the border with Turkey, eh?
I mean, really, why the heck should neighbors be involved in Greek idiocy and politics?
thanks for gracing us with your valuable opinions David...you are officially a sofia echo book worm
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained off-topic content
The KKE and PASOK are long enemies. KKE reads the EU as an imperialist cannibal, they will offer overt and covert support for these strikes because of this. PASOK is trying to blackmail the EU into a bailout. If this happens there will be the possibility of a centralized economic/political control of the other so called 'piigs'. An intensification of the very imperialism that KKE is against. The real losers are the working people in all of this. Where is the solution from KKE in all of this, where is their proposal for productive change? After the strikes then what? [...]
Read the full comment I think KKE risk making some dangerous reactionary mistakes if they do not speak to the people about long term solutions.
The greek government need to get a grip. Their economy is on it's knees, their country debt has been downgraded, their is no appetite from international investors for more of their debt, yet they allow the farmers etc to close the borders and thereby damage their economy even further.