Bulgarian Foreign Ministry tells citizens to be cautious about travel to Belgium
Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry on March 24 told Bulgarian citizens planning a trip to Brussels or Belgium to “carefully consider its urgency”.
The advisory, issued two days after the terrorist attacks in Brussels, succeeded a March 22 statement by the Foreign Ministry urging Bulgarians not to travel to Belgium or its capital.
The Foreign Ministry noted that Belgium had raised its terrorist threat risk level to its highest and there were increased security measures at airports, ports and other strategic sites.
Transport in Brussels and around the Belgian capital was gradually normalising but remained difficult, the ministry said.
The airport where two of the terrorist attacks happened would be closed until at least March 25, inclusive. Some airlines had diverted flights to other airports. Belgium was carrying out border checks, causing traffic jams, but borders were not closed.
In Brussels, public transport was being restored, with some metro stations still closed, the main railway stations open. Checks at the entrance of the stations were resulting in queues.
The Foreign Ministry said that Bulgarian citizens planning a trip to Brussels or to any destination in Belgium should carefully consider its urgency and should follow information from airport authorities and airlines, as well as monitoring flight schedule updates.
Bulgarians in Belgium were advised to follow news updates and to comply strictly with the instructions of local authorities. Everyone should exercise increased vigilance, the Foreign Ministry said.
Bulgarian citizens travelling to Belgium short should register on the website of the Foreign Ministry or provide contact information to the embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Brussels.
