Bulgaria Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has explained why he travelled to the Greek border on Friday, in connection with the Greek farmers' blockade.
"I think our 200 - 300 drivers deserved that I should stand behind them in this moment," he announced on Saturday, adding that, as Prime Minister, "I have done everything in my power".
"I explained to the Greek farmers that I did not interfere in their protests - whether fair or not, but we do not deserve what is happening to us," he said, and thanked the protesters that let through the columns of trucks gathered yesterday at the Kulata border checkpoint with Greece.
He stated that, whereas it would have been undiplomatic to have made this sudden visit at his own initiative, he had spoken beforehand to Greek Prime Minister Papandreou.
"Before inviting the farmers onto Bulgarian territory, I talked to Mr. Papandreou for 30 minutes, and explained that the column of vehicles in Bulgaria is endless. These were real hostages to me. With his consent, and not on his account, we unblocked the column," he said.
Borisov noted that a legal procedure has been invoked against Greece in the court in Luxembourg. He stated that the Greek side would have to pay compensation to Bulgaria, an innocent party in the continuing blockade of the border.
"I put a lot of effort into getting the trucks through," he concluded.
Novinite
