Ivaylo Moskovski

A Chinese government delegation will visit the Bulgarian Black Sea ports of Varna and Burgas to study opportunities for investment in their transport infrastructure, the transport ministry in Sofia announced on Friday.

Bulgarian truck drivers have intensified a counter-blockade of border checkpoints with Greece.

Bulgarian truck drivers are continuing the counter-blockades at checkpoints along the border with Greece.

Tensions at the border have been running high in the past four weeks as Greek farmers have been protesting against planned increases of tax and pension contributions by staging blockades.

Bulgarian business has lost more than ?10 million from the protests of Greek farmers, who have blocked the borders for three weeks, the Bulgarian Union of International Carriers told BIRN on Monday.

Transport companies are planning to demand compensation from Greece for the financial losses they have suffered as a result of the blockades.

The blockade at the Kulata checkpoint located on the Bulgarian-Greek border was temporary lifted on Tuesday evening to allow for the passage of the vehicles that have piled up on both sides of the border over the past days.

The queue of trucks on the Bulgarian side of the border has cleared, with passage allowed for all types of vehicles.

Bulgaria would invest BGN 848 M, VAT excluded, in the first stage of the project for the construction of a third line of Sofia Metro, Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski said on Tuesday.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov estimated that BGN 5 B will be needed for the completion of two of the country's main motorways - Hemus and Struma as well as section of the I-1 (E-79 European route) in the country's northwest.

Borisov said this on Tuesday at the official opening ceremony of the by-pass around the town of Montana.

Chinese companies have demonstrated interest towards major infrastructure projects in Bulgaria.

According to Bulgarian Regional Minister Lilyana Pavlova, the Chinese have showed greatest interest towards the Cherno More (Black Sea) motorway, the planned tunnel under Shipka peak and the Ruse-Svilengrad road.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has departed for a visit to China with seven ministers for a meeting with the country's leadership and officials from Central and Eastern European states.

The city of Suzhou in Eastern China is due to host the Fourth leaders' meeting of China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries on November 24-25.

Bulgaria will heighten its security measures after the series of attacks in Paris on Friday night, which claimed the lives of at least 127 people and left at least 180 others injured.

This became clear after an extraordinary high-level meeting on security and migration at the interior ministry, which had been summoned by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov on Saturday.