A meeting between Bulgaria and Turkey to be held in Ankara
08.02.2014
Following several requests from the Bulgarian side for holding a bilateral meeting, the Turkish side officially confirmed that such a meeting will take place on February 21, 2014 in Ankara. The quotas for single permits for road transport between the two countries and other issues of mutual interest are to be discussed.
We remind you that the bilateral relations in the field of the road transport between Bulgaria and Turkey are regulated by the Agreement signed in Ankara on April 16, 1977.
According to this document, the competent authorities shall determine the annual amount of permits
The last time the amount of permits between the two countries, which is exchanged on a reciprocal basis, was agreed in 2012:
- 250 000 transit permits;
- 17 500 “empty-full” permits;
- 32 000 "full-full" permits;
- 1100 permits to/from a third country
In case both parties agree with this amount, according to the established practice, it is considered as a preliminary amount valid for the next calendar year. On the insistence of the Bulgarian side, during the two meetings of the Joint Bulgarian-Turkish Commission on international road transport conducted in September 2013 (3rd – 4th September 2013 in Ankara and 17th to 18th September 2013 in Sofia) the issue for determining the amount of permits for 2014 was included in the agenda as it did not correspond to the actual needs the carriers. Both of the meetings ended without any signed protocols and therefore without the amounts of permits for 2014 being determined.
In November 2013 the Bulgarian side again raised the question of holding a meeting in the shortest possible time, at which to agree on the number of permits for 2014. In November 2013 the Turkish side on its initiative sent part of the permits agreed in 2012 in the following amounts:
- 5 000 transit permits;
- 8 750 "empty-full" permits;
- 16 000 "full-full" permits;
- 550 permits to/from a third country.
Observing the principle of reciprocity, the Bulgarian side provided Turkey the same amount of permits and once again noted that these are the preliminary amounts for 2014. As a sign of good will on January, 20 2014, the Bulgarian side provided 10 000 more transit permits for the needs of Turkish carriers.
The Turkish side informed that in case of a failure to provide half of the transit permits agreed for 2012, it will unilaterally claim the permits granted to Bulgarian carriers invalid. The Turkish side also informed that the meeting can take place only if the Bulgarian party provides Turkey half of the transit permits agreed for 2012. On January 30, 2014 the Turkish side claimed the permits granted to the Bulgarian carriers invalid. As a countermeasure the Bulgarian side void the permits for the Turkish carriers as of 0:00 on February 1, 2014. |