MPs adopt decision to instruct Energy Minister to negotiate with Ukraine for sale of two nuclear reactors intended for Belene NPP

With 155 votes in favour, the MPs adopted a decision to instruct the Minister of Energy to conduct negotiations with his Ukrainian counterpart or his representative with a view to selling two of Bulgaria’s reactors intended for Belene Nuclear Power Plant.

The decision passed with the support of GERB-UDF, “We Continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria”, MRF and TISP.

"After the war in Ukraine, the Belene NPP project cannot be implemented. Support the decision to protect the Bulgarian national interest," said Temenuzhka Petkova, former energy minister and current GERB MP.

"Bulgaria will no longer have nuclear reactors of our production and we will have to buy new American ones," said Tsoncho Ganev from "Vazrazhdane".

“We are dooming our energy sector to unsustainable development. Bulgaria should move with a plan and security. I hope we can find a sufficient number of sensible people to insist that we get this energy strategy in place as soon as possible and that we don't do piece by piece. To the specific draft decision on the sale of the two Bulgarian reactors, we are adamant that this harms Bulgaria's national interest," Iskra Mihailova of “Vazrazhdane” said.

"Because Bulgaria is a very rich country and we are conducting 'nuclear equipment', so Bulgaria having to sell nuclear equipment for the second time will be a shame for everyone here in the chamber because we are stopping the development of our nuclear energy", said Dragomir Stoynev of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP).

Source: BGNES