The Bulgarian Cabinet has expectedly given up on its idea to construct a border fence with Turkey, a move that intended to curb the potential infiltration of animals infected with foot-and-mouth disease.

As it was made clear on Tuesday, the cash-strapped Balkan country cannot afford the construction of the 181-km border fence.

The total cost of the project was estimated at a total of BGN 28 M (almost EUR 14 M), and the Bulgarian government has nowhere to come up with the money.

This sum is four times the sum originally approved and there will be a need for additional funding in order to compensate land owners, and to maintain and control the new facility, the Bulgarian government explained on Tuesday.

Furthermore, the fence would have crossed nine protected areas, which would require additional environmental reports.

The construction of a border fence with Turkey was proposed after an outbreak of FMD in Southeastern Bulgaria in the beginning of 2011 was blamed on the infiltration of infected wild animals coming from Turkey.