PM Petkov: If Russia cuts off gas supply, Bulgaria will halt its electricity export

Prime Minister Kiril Petkov is convinced that the strength of NATO and the European Union is based on their members’ ability to speak in one voice about the crisis in Ukraine. Petkov assured that Bulgaria agrees with the sanctions on Russia and is preparing plan B in case gas suppies to Bulgaria are cut-off.

Bulgaria is a firm partner in the EU and NATO, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said once again in relation to the crisis in Ukraine.

"We believe in the unity of Ukraine, we believe that any country - in this case Russia - that sends tanks to another country is violating international law. It is absurd to think that these regions are acting on their own. No, we are fully in one voice with the EU and there is no deviation from that," Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said on February 23.

We are in solidarity with the sanctions, Petkov added.

"And at the same time we are preparing our system to have options so that we prevent interruptions with our energy sources. We are preparing a plan B. We look after the Bulgarian interests, but we work in a community with the Union," the PM said.

In the scenario of 100% gas shutdown to Bulgaria, the country's energy exports will stop.

"The good news here for all of us is that the pipeline that supplies Bulgaria also supplies Serbia and Hungary, which after all are strategic partners of Russia, so the chance of getting into this scenario is small. We will get into a dynamic of price wars for energy and for gas. The good thing is, what Kyriakos Mitsotakis and I are working very hard on, is that I hope that by the summer, after 11 years of building this link with Greece, we will finally see it become a reality. If that happens, we can then bring in liquefied natural gas," the PM added.

Speaking to Bulgarians from North Macedonia, with whom the Prime Minister met yesterday, Petkov confirmed that their rights are a huge priority for the Bulgarian government.

"The best thing for Bulgaria, for them and for North Macedonia, is to see North Macedonia in Europe, in the EU. This is our long-term common strategy.So we have to move on in such a way so that both their rights are protected in this process, and that we remove the language of discrimination and the language of hatred," Kiril Petkov added.

He explained that the photo from which Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski was cut was unintentionally edited by his press office. He reiterated that he and his Macedonian counterpart would not succumb to attempts to distrcact them from constructive dialogue.

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