"During the summer - from the beginning of June to the end of September - the border crossing is extremely busy with the traffic flow from Western Europe to Turkey and vice versa," Zoran Djurov, chairman of the Municipal Council of Caribrod, told Radio Bulgaria. 

"The issue is also addressed to the Bulgarian state. There is still no answer, but perhaps the reason for this is the political situation in the Republic of Bulgaria. 

I believe that now, after the elections held on 9 June, a working government will be formed in Bulgaria which will respond positively to our idea of opening a temporary border crossing point. This means that the Municipality of Caribrod will be able to set in motion all the concrete procedures for the opening of such a crossing point, through which both Bulgarian and Serbian citizens who work or study in Bulgaria, or those who have relatives on the other side of the border and have to travel to maintain their properties or cultivate their gardens, will be able to pass. After a few years, if it is seen to be working, it could become a permanent option."

"Around 1,000 people head to Sofia every day or twice a week (on Sundays or Mondays - they leave and on Fridays they return) to work," Zoran Djurov continued. "So, there are a lot of people from Caribrod working in Bulgaria. There is not enough work for everyone here. The livelihood in Caribrod revolves only around the tourists from Bulgaria who come to see the beautiful places in the area and eat in one of our restaurants. The temporary border crossing will also facilitate their movement. Most tourists in our region come from Sofia."

Photos: Krasimir Martinov, BGNES