ATHENS

Border controls between Bulgaria and Romania were abolished Tuesday after a six-month transition, according to Bulgaria’s Sofia News Agency.

The lifting of the border checks marks a significant step in the implementation of the Schengen Agreement for the two neighboring Balkan countries, it said.

The agency noted that the temporary border regime was the result of an agreement brokered with Austria, which was initially opposed to full membership of Bulgaria’s and Romania's Schengen area.

The removal of the controls coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Schengen system, it added.

The agency underlined, however, that the situation at Bulgaria’s southern frontier with Greece remains unchanged, with officers retaining the right to carry out checks when necessary.