site.btaEnergy Minister Radev Questions Equity in Benefits from Bulgargaz-Botas Agreement

Energy Minister Rumen Radev is of the opinion that a 13-year agreement between Bulgargaz and Turkiye's State energy company Botas should not have been signed, particularly in the last weeks of the caretaker government, it emerged at Thursday's news conference at the Council of Ministers. At the event, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov and cabinet ministers gave details about the work on the government programme and criticised the work done by the previous caretaker government, which according to the Constitution, is appointed by the President. 

Radev explained that he had visited Turkiye with a team from his Ministry, as well as with the heads of Bulgargaz and Bulgartransgaz a week previously.

They discussed gas infrastructure connectivity and details under the agreement with the Turkish company with the aim to achieve a maximum balance (of benefits) for the parties. Under the agreement, Botas has access to the Bulgarian gas network and thereby to the European gas network. Bulgaria's access is limited solely to the LNG terminals in Turkiye, Radev explained. 

The Energy Minister said that he will try to make sure that the quantities that are going through are optimised so that larger quantities can be unloaded which have to be paid for anyway.

According to Radev, the issue of diversification in the signing of the contract with Botas was very controversial because it was not taken into account that Bulgaria has a stake in the Greek terminal in Alexandroupolis. Moreover, there is a desire to increase the capacity there, but even to develop another terminal at Alexandroupolis.