Bulgaria wrapped up everything they needed to do for the Rudozem-Xanthi border crossing back in 2023, but Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev told parliament the holdup is on Greece's end with admin stuff and technical paperwork. He was responding to questions about why the checkpoint still isn't open, even though Greece published the commissioning notice for its border section. Georgiev mentioned Bulgaria keeps bringing this up at every bilateral meeting with Athens, and the Greeks say they want to get it done but have been dealing with tough terrain, construction delays, and court appeals.
The checkpoint will start with light vehicles under 3.5 tons when it finally opens. Bulgaria sent a note through its Athens embassy asking for a timeline, but Greece hasn't responded yet. Georgiev said his ministry is watching this closely and will loop in the European Commission if needed. The whole project cost 42 million euros, split between both countries, and connects Greece's Egnatia motorway to Bulgaria, which matters a lot for trade and tourism routes.
The checkpoint will start with light vehicles under 3.5 tons when it finally opens. Bulgaria sent a note through its Athens embassy asking for a timeline, but Greece hasn't responded yet. Georgiev said his ministry is watching this closely and will loop in the European Commission if needed. The whole project cost 42 million euros, split between both countries, and connects Greece's Egnatia motorway to Bulgaria, which matters a lot for trade and tourism routes.
