The Prime Minister of Bulgaria convened the Security Council over a bill banning oil supplies from the Russian Federation to the LUKOIL plant

Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov ordered an emergency meeting of the Government Security Council over a bill banning the supply of Russian oil to the LUKOIL oil refinery. The document was submitted to parliament by the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party, which is part of the government coalition.

The purpose of the meeting will be to assess the consequences and risks for the national security of Bulgaria if the bill is adopted, the Bulgarian news agency reports. BTA. Reports from intelligence agencies on this issue will be presented at the meeting.

The parliamentary majority previously planned to introduce a ban on Russian oil by November. The Russian company indicated that implementing the solution in such a short time would lead to a sharp increase in the cost of fuel on the domestic market. In September, a majority of Bulgarian MPs voted to reduce the use of Russian oil at the LUKOIL plant to 80% by the end of the year. The refinery must completely abandon Russian oil by October 2024.

The new bill was introduced by the GERB party in October. It involves an immediate ban on the supply of Russian oil to the LUKOIL plant. The GERB was joined by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, which is also part of the government commission.

About the reduction in Russian oil supplies to the EU – in the Kommersant article “Russian share in the EU oil and gas market is going to other suppliers.”

Leonid Uvarchev