Bulgaria refuses Russian gas: what is known

This was stated by the country's Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov during a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York.

According to Zhelyazkov, the country already fully meets its own gas needs by importing LNG through terminals in Greece and Turkey.

Bulgaria has also signed agreements with the United States for the supply of LNG on favorable terms, which allows it to guarantee coverage of domestic demand in the fall and winter.

Zhelyazkov recalled that after the end of the EU exemption, Bulgaria no longer processes Russian oil at the Neftochim refinery.

In addition, the country signed a memorandum with the University of North Dakota on cooperation in the field of rare earth metals research, which will be part of a strategy for diversifying energy and critical resources.

About 15-16 billion cubic meters of gas are transported annually through this route, the main destinations being Serbia and Hungary.

Bulgaria's long-term contract to import Russian gas ended in 2022 after the country refused to pay in rubles, but transit supplies to neighboring countries continue.