Belgrade  - Greek authorities banned Serbian hauliers from entering Greece on Sunday, in a row over higher road charges for foreign firms using Serbian roads, Belgrade media have reported.

Ten days ago Athens again warned Belgrade that it would not renew Serbian permits because Serbia continues to violate a treaty on road tolls that it signed with Greece in
2002. According to the treaty, charges were to be the same for both Greek and Serbian drivers.

Although Belgrade has not implemented the treaty, Serbian officials said they were surprised by the Greek move.

"They did not hint at this (before) so it was a surprise for us," assistant foreign minister, Borislav Borovic, told the Fonet news agency. "I hope we can resolve this quickly, now that the foreign ministry has become involved."

Sitting at the heart of the Balkans and straddling the shortest road route between Western Europe and the Middle East, Serbia has in the past charged foreign vehicles in transit up to 14 times as much as local vehicles.

In a practice outlawed in the European Union, foreigners still pay more than locals for many services in Serbia.

In transport, a Serbian trucker pays 6,440 dinars (87 dollars) for transit through Serbia on the Zagreb-Belgrade-Thessaloniki highway, while a foreigner would pay 12,160, according to information of the national drivers organization (www. amss. rs). dpa