EU country wants to resume buying Russian gas — RT Business News
Bulgaria reconsiders stance after rejecting Moscow ruble payment request in April
The Bulgarian government plans to hold talks with energy giant Gazprom on resuming Russian natural gas imports, Energy Minister Rosen Hristov told Nova TV on Friday.
“There are still no active discussions with Gazprom… but we have indicated that we want to start negotiations, or rather continue them to clarify certain controversial terms of the contract. We just sent information that we were willing to negotiate and asked them to get back in touch,” he said, adding that Sofia expects a response from the Russian supplier on Friday, or Monday of next week at the latest.
The Minister emphasized: “We are only talking about the old contract; we will not re-sign or negotiate a new contract.
According to Hristov, Sofia is seeking to extend the deadline for supplying the remaining gas volumes under the contract until 2023.
In April, Bulgaria rejected the ruble-for-gas payment method introduced by Russia in response to Western sanctions. Under the new regulations, buyers from countries that have imposed restrictions on Moscow are obliged to pay for Russian natural gas in rubles. Sofia’s refusal to accept the new terms prompted Gazprom Export to suspend fuel supplies from its Bulgarian partner, Bulgargaz.
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