The contract with "Botas" cannot be terminated and successfully renegotiated at this stage. This became clear after a hearing in the plenary hall of Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov, as well as former Energy Minister Rosen Hristov, former director of "Bulgargaz" Denitsa Zlateva and current director of "Bulgartransgaz" Vladimir Malinov, BNT reported. The four were summoned by the deputies once again to provide explanations - what is happening with the contract and whether our country continues to lose money under it.
Three things were announced at today's hearing - first, Bulgaria is still using the contract with "Botas" due to the non-working terminal in Alexandroupolis, and technical failures in the field in Azerbaijan since the beginning of the year. However, our country continues to pay more than necessary and the Minister of Energy estimates that the total losses under the contract amount to 1.2 billion leva and so with the agreed 4 billion we will pay nearly 6 billion. It also became clear that the state company "Bulgargaz" needed a total of 10 cargoes through Turkey when it was conducting negotiations, and 19 were agreed - the reasons for this excess did not become clear.
Rosen Hristov, former Minister of Energy: "The fact that the contract is not being used means that gas is being supplied with sources related to Russia, this is provable and pure physics. This hearing confirmed my suspicions that this is political persecution, and not an attempt to understand the situation with the contract with "Botaş" and possibly make improvements through negotiations with "Botaş" and the other countries. So from now on, absolutely all questions to my lawyers, I am filing a case with the Court of Human Rights for political persecution."
Zhecho Stankov, Minister of Energy: "If Mr. Rosen Hristov is willing, I am ready to offer the opportunity to get involved, to participate or if necessary to be the chief negotiator on this topic, if this will resolve the issue faster. Even on the part of the ministry, we are ready to organize it in such a way that in case of successful negotiations there will be a corresponding reward. I don't know why you are laughing, given that we have to pay 1 million every day. leva, if any of you are ready to come and renegotiate it, so that we can save these funds, I would be happy."
Denitsa Zlateva, former director of "Bulgargaz": "If a contract were to be concluded now from the point of view of the commercial company, which is also a public supplier and must ensure secure and reliable supplies of natural gas, it is in the interest of this commercial company to have capacity contracts concluded at all entry points of the Republic of Bulgaria."
Negotiations with "Botas" continue, but so far without success.