Serbia and Bulgaria to establish joint border crossing Gradina 2–Kalotina 2

Serbia and Bulgaria will establish a joint border crossing Gradina 2–Kalotina 2, and a memorandum on this matter was signed by the ministers of internal affairs of the two countries, Ivica Dacic and Ivan Demerdzhiev.

In accordance with the signed memorandum, the mutual intention to open a new joint border crossing in the village of Kalotina on the Bulgarian side was expressed, and it also defines in more detail the obligations of both parties regarding further procedural and legal steps for establishing this new border crossing.

By opening the joint border crossing, which will be used exclusively by citizens of Serbia and Bulgaria, the countries are primarily helping cross-border workers, in order to facilitate the crossing and avoid delays at the border with Bulgaria during the summer months.

During a meeting with Demerdzhiev at the joint Gradina-Kalotina border crossing, which is also the central border crossing with Bulgaria, Dacic pointed out that three million people had crossed the border there in the preceding six months.

– Our intention is to facilitate the crossing of people and goods as much as possible, but also to prevent cross-border crime – Dacic emphasized, adding that cooperation in the fight against organized crime and the suppression of irregular migration would continue.

He said that in the first six months of 2026, illegal crossings had been reduced by 55% compared to the year before, and specified that the two ministries had comprehensive police cooperation, as well as cooperation in the field of emergency situations.

Demerdzhiev pointed out that the number of passengers crossing the borders increased every year, with about five million people and two million vehicles crossing the border the previous year via the Kalotina-Gradina border crossing.

The Bulgarian minister stressed that the relations between the two countries were good and expressed confidence that they would continue to strengthen in the future.

– We have established contacts between professional leaders of different police sectors in order to further improve the process. I believe that this will also contribute to the development of border regions in both Bulgaria and Serbia – said the Bulgarian Minister of Internal Affairs.

Ministarstvo unutrašnjih poslova Republike Srbije

Ministry of Internal Affairs

Ivica Dačić

Ivan Demerdzhiev

Kalotina border crossing

Gradina border crossing

Gradina 2 Kalotina 2 joint border crossing