Ribarce becomes international border crossing to Bulgaria

The Ribarce border crossing to Bulgaria, in the municipality of Bosilegrad, opened for cargo traffic on January 25, 2017, by which it acquired the status of an international border crossing. This fact is of huge importance for Bosilegrad, as it will place it on a trade route, providing it with all the benefits one such roads carries with it, stated the president of the municipality of Bosilegrad, Vladimir Zaharijev.

Zaharijev said that the Ribarce border crossing had opened in 1957, but that up till then it had been used only for passenger vehicles, not cargo traffic, which had been redirected towards Dimitrovgrad or Presevo.

– People will no longer need to circle around and check their goods through the customs in Leskovac, Presevo, or Dimitrovgrad. Instead, they will be able to finish all administrative procedures in Bosilegrad. This is a great opportunity for the municipality, as it will create conditions for the opening of many small shops, in addition to providing the city with a cargo route and a customs terminal – Zaharijev said.

He added that the local self-government had created the conditions for the opening of a customs terminal at the Ribarce crossing by its own investment in 2006.

– The municipality invested the money and had the infrastructure, paving and optical devices completed, and now we've got the administrative permit for opening something that has already been built – Zaharijev said.

He stated that acquiring the customs terminal would bring Bosilegrad closer to the European Union, as Bulgaria, the proximity of which hadn't brought any special benefits to the municipality before, was one of its members.

– I expect that this will change now, and there are already interested businessmen from both Bosilegrad and Bulgaria, who have announced that they will be transporting their goods through Bosilegrad – Zaharijev said.

Opština Bosilegrad

Vlada Republike Srbije

Ribarce border crossing

border crossing to Bulgaria

Vladimir Zaharijev