site.btaVazrazhdane Leader Kostadinov: US Sanctions on Lukoil Will Not Affect Bulgaria

The sanctions imposed on Lukoil will not affect Bulgaria in any way, because the company has been working with suppliers outside the European Union (EU) since 2022, Vazrazhdane Floor Leader Kostadin Kostadinov told journalists in Parliament on Thursday. He was commenting on the sanctions imposed by the US on the Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil. 

He added that the only way the sanctions would affect Bulgaria is if political forces from the ruling party and the opposition try to exploit the situation to take over the business.

Kostadinov explained that he had requested information from the Netherlands via the European Parliament regarding the issue with Lukoil, specifying that the company is Dutch. According to the information available, the issue has not been discussed there, he noted.

“First, let us see what the company's headquarters will do, and then we will see how its subsidiaries in Russia react,” said Kostadinov. “Lukoil in Bulgaria is not independent, and decisions will be made outside our country,” the MP stressed.

Kostadinov also discussed data from the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) indicating a 12% decrease in foreign investment in Bulgaria. He said that foreign investors are fleeing Bulgaria because it is unclear whether a special law will be passed to protect their business interests.

Commenting on information that some journalists' accreditations to Parliament have been revoked, Kostadinov said he was outraged and that no distinction should be made between journalists from large and small media outlets, including independents. He believes that journalists from smaller media outlets suddenly find themselves becoming inconvenient and being crushed.