The Parliament has mandated Bulgaria’s Minister of Energy to hold negotiations with the Minister of Energy of Ukraine or his representative for the sale of the equipment for the Belene NPP project. 155 MPs voted in favour of the decision. 57 MPs voted against. The MPs from GERB-CDS, We Contiue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and There is Such a People voted in favor. Vazrazhdane and BSP for Bulgaria were against.

According to the Parliament’s decision, the sale price should not be lower than the price at which Bulgaria acquired the equipment- nearly EUR 600 million. The negotiations are scheduled to take place within 60 days of the entry into force of the decision. The Minister of Energy should inform the National Assembly of the actions taken and the results of the negotiations.

Today's decision revokes the decision of the National Assembly of June 7, 2018, "to resume actions on the search for opportunities to build the Belene nuclear power plant together with a strategic investor."

"Nothing would prevent Ukraine from using the Macro-Financial Assistance+ package to purchase nuclear equipment from Bulgaria", European Commission Chief Spokesperson Eric Mamer said in response to a question whether Ukraine could use the European aid for this purpose, the BNR’s correspondent in Brussels Angelina Piskova reported. Eric Mamer recalled that Ukraine is provided with EUR 1.5 billion on a monthly basis under the Macro-financial Assistance + package. EC Spokesperson Veerle Nuyts stressed that this aid is intended to support the balance of payments and stabilize the country's macroeconomy.