Bulgaria's refusal of Russian natural gas has created risks for Bulgarian business and the economy. Bulgaria is putting unprecedented pressure on "Lukoil" to sell its business. This was said by the Russian Ambassador to Sofia Eleonora Mitrofanova in an interview with RIA "Novosti", "Focus" indicated.
"Lukoil" companies in Bulgaria were put under "unprecedented pressure from state agencies" and the company is considering selling them. In June, another antitrust investigation began, and in such conditions it is not surprising that the central office in Moscow is considering selling everything, but as far as we know, a final decision has not been made, "commented Mitrofanova.
She recalled that supplies of Russian gas to Bulgaria have been suspended since April 2022, when the local operator "Bulgargaz" refused to switch to payments in rubles, and the country's government decided to break long-standing trusting ties with Moscow.
"This whole situation ultimately led to a number of unfavorable consequences for the Republic of Bulgaria and created significant risks for local business and the economy as a whole. As an example - – "Bulgargaz" itself is now in far from the best financial condition, and its market share from 2019 to 2024. has shrunk from 90% to 65%“, said the Russian ambassador to Bulgaria.
Mitrofanova believes that Bulgaria's neighboring countries - Greece, Serbia and North Macedonia - continue to buy Russian fuel.
In terms of bilateral trade, the Russian ambassador reports a decline of 74% in 2024 compared to the previous one, with a turnover of $1 billion.