Bulgaria Advises Motorists to Avoid Serbia-Croatia Border Crossings

Bulgaria on Thursday recommended to its motorists to avoid crossing the border between Serbia and Croatia due to tit-for-tat traffic bans imposed by Belgrade and Zagreb in relation to the migrant crisis.  

According to information provided by Bulgaria Embassy in Belgrade, the  Batrovci - Bayakovo crossing at Serbia's border with Croatia has been closed to passenger cars and trucks since Thursday morning, the Foreign Ministry in Sofia said.

As media outlets reported earlier, Serbia has banned the entry of Croatian cargo vehicles and goods amid a deterioration of bilateral relations over rows triggered by the ongoing migrant crisis in Europe.

Serbia has banned the import and transit of any goods originating in Croatia, regardless of the owner, distributor or carrier, the ministry said. The entry of Croatian-registered trucks has also been banned with the restriction applying to all Serbian border checkpoint, including those at the border with Bulgaria.

The passage of trucks could be delayed at the crossing points on Serbia's border with Bulgaria due to stepped-up customs checks on the origin of the cargo by the Serbian authorities.

Croatia has also barred Serbian-registered vehicles and Serbian passport holders from entering its territory as of Thursday, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said. Only trucks carrying perishable goods are allowed to cross at Bayakovo-Batrovci checkpoint.

On the bright side, all crossing points on the border between Serbia and Hungary were functioning normally on Thursday and no significant delays in traffic have been reported, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said.