Bulgaria Invites Turkey for Talks on “Botas” Gas Contract, Caretaker Energy Minister Says

Bulgaria has sent an invitation to the Turkish side for negotiations on the contract with state energy company “Botas”, the caretaker Energy Minister said.

Caretaker Energy Minister Traycho Traykov said a structured proposal had already been prepared jointly by the ministry, state-owned energy companies, and Deputy Minister Georgieva, and formally submitted to the Turkish side.

“I believe it is possible to structure a proposal, and we have already done so. Together with colleagues from the ministry, the state energy companies and Deputy Minister Georgieva, we have sent a proposal to the Turkish side,” Traykov said.

He added that the proposals are set out in a memorandum spanning several pages, describing them as highly technical and aligned with Bulgaria’s national interest.

Around a month earlier, Traykov said he had met Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar in Paris during a nuclear energy forum and invited him to visit Sofia. At the time, he noted that the Turkish side had shown understanding and openness to changes in the contract terms.

According to Traykov, when the agreement was signed Bulgaria needed access to Turkey’s gas transmission capacity, but the way the deal was structured has since made it economically inefficient. In February, he said Bulgaria was not currently making payments under the contract, warning this could lead to countermeasures from the Turkish side.

Asked about measures to address rising fuel prices, the minister said Bulgaria was among the first EU countries to adopt a comprehensive package of actions.

“Of course, it is not possible to influence the international market conditions, but in terms of their impact on the Bulgarian economy and citizens, we took immediate measures which were targeted, time-limited and structured to prevent an inflationary spiral and support the most vulnerable groups,” he said.

He added that the measures had been cited as a best practice example within the European Union.

On the future of coal-fired power plants, Traykov said Bulgaria had expressed the view in European institutions that, in extraordinary situations and external shocks, countries should maintain their own generating capacity and rely on domestic resources, citing thermal power plants as essential for energy security and grid stability.

Regarding the construction of Units 7 and 8 at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant, he said the project had a long-term horizon and that the aim was to avoid delays and budget overruns.

Source: BTA