Bulgarian Minister of Energy Alexander Nikolov said that the Government is prepared to put in place adequate measures in case of disruption or complete halt of gas supplies due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Minister Nikolov assured that Bulgaria’s energy system is functioning normally at present. However, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine poses additional risks to Europe’s energy security against the background of already high prices from energy suppliers.
He stressed the need to coordinate EU countries’ contingency actions, with a focus on guaranteeing energy resilience and availability to both households and businesses, including through providing European financing that would support national budgets.
Close cooperation is needed with Greece on accelerating energy connectivity in the region, including the interconnection with Serbia. He also noted Bulgaria’s support for the speedy integration of the Ukrainian electricity system into the European one.
After several delays, gas interconnector between Greece and Bulgaria should start commercial operations in July.