site.btaTurkey, Bulgaria Remove Disinfection Systems at Shared Border Checkpoints, Increase Quotas on Freight Services

Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu said that disinfection systems at border checkpoints on both sides of the Turkish-Bulgarian border will be removed. 

Karaismailoglu and Bulgarian Transport and Communications Minister Nikolay Sabev reached a mutual agreement at a meeting in Sofia while discussing matters of mutual interest. 

The removal of disinfection systems will ensure faster crossing at border checkpoints, Karaismailoglu said in a statement. An increase in quotas for freight road transport on both sides was also discussed.

Important agreements were reached during the conference of the Joint Bulgarian-Turkish Commission on International Road Transport on February 24-25, read the statement.

Quotas for transit freight have been increased from 250,000 to 375,000, quotas for empty cars have gone up from 17,500 to 25,000, and quotas for third-country certificates have been increased from 1,100 to 2,200.

A significant increase in quotas has been achieved for the Turkish side, whose main flow of exports to Europe passes through Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian side informed that it is working on increasing the capacity of the border checkpoints, the opening of new platforms for refrigerated transport at the Kapitan Andreevo/Kapikule checkpoint, admission of freight vehicles up to 5 tonnes through the Malko Tarnovo/Derekoy border checkpoint, the opening of a new border portal for tourism and exploration of possibilities for facilitation and diversification of passenger transport, which has multiplied in frequency recently, Karaismailoglu concluded.