The Bulgarian government and the Swiss-based company "Litasko" have reached an agreement that unblocks normal oil supplies to "Lukoil Neftochim Burgas". The company is lifting the seizures and restrictions imposed by the court in Geneva, which seriously hampered the work of the refinery, Nova TV reports.
From July 1, "Lukoil Neftochim Burgas" will be able to purchase oil from all counterparties registered in Switzerland, the newly appointed special commercial manager Evgeni Simeonov announced at a briefing at the Council of Ministers.
According to him, the restrictions on the Burgas refinery were a consequence of a loan granted by “Litasko” in 2023. Because of it, restrictions were imposed on “Neftochim” to purchase raw materials from other Swiss companies.
“This is a great victory on the path that we must walk together to stabilize the work of the refinery. Back in the months, due to uncertainty in supplies, processing of heavy types of oil was allowed, which led to the accumulation of serious problems in the installations and hindering the work of the plant,” said Evgeni Simeonov.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Alexander Pulev described the agreement as a key step. According to him, it removes operational obstacles to crude oil supplies and will guarantee the price competitiveness of fuels in our country. Pulev emphasized that with the appointment of the new special administrator and the introduced legal changes, the state guarantees national security and greater transparency.
The representative of “Litasko” Inna Darius confirmed the official lifting of the seizures before the Swiss court and described the dialogue with the government as open and constructive. She indicated that the company will seek a long-term solution that will simultaneously protect its economic interests and continue to support Bulgaria's energy sector.
Earlier, Prime Minister Rumen Radev held a meeting with representatives of the management of “Litasko” and “Lukoil”, which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Galab Donev and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry Alexander Pulev.