Sofia

Austria is ready to support Bulgaria'sefforts to improve border security in view of potential increase in migration pressure, including by secondment of police officers, a senior Austrian official has said.

Bulgaria's capital Sofia is holding the second edition of its Grand Chocolate Festival over the weekend, presenting both standard and unique chocolate products in various categories.

Visitors can see handmade chocolate, chocolate candy, factory chocolate, chocolate creams and cakes, and books about chocolate.

The Bulgarian government decided to allocate slightly over BGN 5.1 M for the purchase of equipment to be used by the specialised police forces and the gendarmerie.

This was announced by the deputy chief secretary of the interior ministry Georgi Abadzhiev at a briefing on Friday.

Police officers from the Bulgarian village of Lesichovo in the region of Pazardzhik detained 23 illegal migrants on Trakia motorway on Thursday.

The group was detected in the area between the interchange at the village of Kalugerovo and the overpass for the village of Shtarkovo.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will extend a loan of EUR 300 M to the Bulgarian Deposit Insurance Fund (BDIF) under a deal signed in Sofia on Thursday.

The national flag carrier Bulgaria Air has cancelled flights between Sofia and Brussels, which were scheduled to take place on Friday.

The airline cancelled flight FB 407A, which was scheduled to depart from Sofia to Brussels at 17:40 EET, as well as flight FB 408A, which was scheduled to arrive at the Bulgarian capital at 23:55 EET.

Customs officials working at the airport in the Bulgarian capital have busted an international cocaine trafficking ring.

Initially, the officials found and seized express courier shipment with cocaine concealed in a speaker, which was destined for export from Bulgaria to Israel.

The United States Embassy in Sofia has announced the its security message distributed to US citizens on Wednesday is "no longer in effect".

On Facebook, the Embassy praises the "proactive measures taken by the Government of Bulgaria in response to threat concerns".

Twelve illegal migrants were detained in the Bulgarian capital on Thursday after a short car pursuit with the police.

Police officers ordered the driver of a minibus traveling on the Tsarigradsko Shose boulevard to stop for a check.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has dismissed warnings from the US Department of State about a possible attack in the capital Sofia.

"The information... does not match reality," he has made clear, adding there is no danger to either "residents or guests of Sofia."