In an extensive statement on the subject, the Bulgarian Prime Minister spoke about the EUR 553 million Bulgaria has to pay as compensation for two reactors following a ruling by the Court of Arbitration in Geneva. “On the other hand,” he said “we must not forget that the interest is EUR 167,000 a day which means that thus far we have accumulated 30-40 million with interest, so we have about 1 billion 200-300 million Euro to pay.” With these words the Bulgarian PM addressed all political forces from the left, centre and right who have been speculating with the subject without realizing just how serious the situation the country is facing is.

“The times I have gone to Brussels to explain the situation to the European Commission and that we shall reach this point,” Borissov said. “I am grateful to Jean-Claude Juncker and to the EC for understanding at last, proof of which is the letter sent to me, signed by Juncker himself.”

Yesterday Boyko Borissov and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed joint energy projects in a telephone conversation. The conversation took place after answers were received on Thursday, in a letter signed by Jean-Claude Juncker, to questions raised by the Bulgarian government regarding the implementation of different energy projects. As to his telephone conversation with President Putin, Borissov said:

“I am grateful we had this conversation and that we agreed that we would be looking for a way of our own to sell the equipment because, besides Belene, where there is just a puddle, there are also pipelines stacked in Varna and Bourgas,” said the Bulgarian PM referring to the South Stream project amounting to a total of EUR 2 billion 200 million which was never implemented.

“This is very important and we must do everything so that our projects will be implemented, otherwise we know what will happen. On 9 August President Erdogan will be discussing the Turkish Stream project with President Putin. On the other hand the gas corridors in the South traverse Greece and ultimately we will be no more than a client and all the money we have invested in the gas transmission system through the years, upwards of 20 billion, will all have gone to waste.”

In this way, Boyko Borissov said, a solution will be sought for making the Belene NPP a private project, but with state participation adding that Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova had been to Munich to hold talks with potential investors. Boyko Borissov stated there would be a big meeting in Varna on 5-6 September on the future of the Balkan gas transmission hub.

“The hub will be in Varna, but there is no sense talking about it before we know what is going to happen to the two reactors manufactured for the Belene NPP project and the South Stream pipelines.”

PM Boyko Borissov, Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev, Minister of the Environment Ivelina Vassileva, the mayor of Varna and the regional governor attended the inauguration of a unique centre at the naval academy, financed by the government as well as with the help of European funding, enabling the country to react in all kinds of emergency situations, including oil slicks.