DefMin: Bulgaria Deploys 300 More Troops to Border as Preventive Measure

Bulgarian Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev said on Thursday that there is no migrant pressure on the country's borders and the deployment of 300 additional troops to the borders with Greece and Turkey is a preventive measure.

The troops are deployed due to the tensions in some of the refugee camps in northern Greece. Nenchev assured that there is no extraordinary situation on Bulgaria's southern border.

Earlier during the week, Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova noted that the migrant pressure has decreased by 40 %.

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov announced on Monday that 300 additional troops will be deployed to the border.

The deployment of the army to the border became possible after the parliament had allowed in February servicemen to guard the border on an equal footing with border police.

According to Nenchev, Bulgaria has readiness to react in the event of a heightened migrant pressure on its borders.

The defence minister said this before his participation at the consultative council for national security which has been convened by President Rosen Plevneliev. The meeting on Thursday will discuss Bulgaria's strategy in the field of cybersecurity.

Nenchev expressed hope that the strategy on cybersecurity, which has already been devised, will be integrated soon. It is expected that the cost of integrating the strategy will be clarified at Thursday's council.