„Bulgargaz” has not paid the invoices for the months of July, August and September, which “Botash” presented to us. The last one came on October 1. On several occasions, the company has informed the Turkish side of its inability to pay, but has received no response, only new invoices. This is clear from an answer to a parliamentary question by the Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov.
Representatives of “Bulgargaz“ and “Botash” have met on October 15 in Istanbul to discuss their relations in connection with the existing agreement between the two countries, which Bulgaria wants to renegotiate.
The Bulgarian side is trying to renegotiate the agreement, which was concluded at the beginning of 2023 by acting Prime Minister Gulab Donev, appointed by President Rumen Radev. It has been sharply criticized in our country by politicians and energy experts because of its unfavorable conditions for Bulgaria.
Minister Malinov recalls that on August 1 this year, a meeting was held in Ankara between “Bulgargaz” and “Botash”. At it, the Bulgarian side presented and argued the need to renegotiate the agreement, in order to preserve the financial stability of “Bulgargaz”.
On August 31, “Bulgargaz“ has started negotiations with a legal consultant on Swiss law to prepare a legal analysis of the agreement. “The main goal of this analysis is the study of the various legal options depending on the course of the negotiations and their potential development”, explains Minister Malinov.