Bulgarian "Border Police" received 40 new all-terrain vehicles

Border Police received 40 new all-terrain vehicles for border protection. The funds for their purchase were provided by the European Union.

The procedure for the order and delivery of the vehicles was completed in a record short 8 months, said the caretaker Minister of interior, Kalin Stoyanov.

"We certainly have a precedent in the Ministry of Interior - to launch a public procurement in only 7 - 8 months, to go through the whole procedure, to complete it and start the delivery of the vehicles. This is the place to thank all the employees, mainly from the Border Police Directorate General, the team that made a huge effort today to make all this happen," the Interior Minister said.

Another 320 cars are to be delivered, which will equip the Border Police with the necessary all-terrain vehicles to ensure the patrolling and protection of the external borders with Turkey, Serbia and Macedonia.

"There were regional directorates in the country, with about 50 vehicles, of which no more than 7 - 8 were on the road. We analysed the situation and came to the conclusion that we had to do absolutely everything possible to deliver the necessary vehicles.

By obtaining these vehicles for the protection of the state border, we become an even more secure, more reliable and more predictable partner for the protection of the EU's external border," the Minister of Interior added.

He said that his colleagues should drive their new vehicles responsibly and safely.

The Director of the General Directorate “Border Police”, Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, pointed out that today's event is a first step towards the targeted technical equipment of the staff. He thanked his colleagues who responsibly and daily perform their duties, despite the problems accumulated over the years with the lack of trained personnel and specialized motor vehicles.