Zakharova denied Sofia’s accusations of corrupting the Bulgarian elites
Speculations by Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov about the “Russian threat” are a sign of political agony. This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova.
“From the point of view of logic and truth, we see no reason to comment separately on each of the deliberately false statements about Russian interference in the affairs of Bulgaria, corruption as our” main foreign policy tool» in the Balkans and “processing” local politicians by organizing “field trips” to Greece»,— she said.
According to her, “speculation about the” Russian threat ” for domestic political and other selfish purposes is a sure sign of political agony.
The day before, the Bulgarian prime minister gave an interview to Novini, in which Petkov, among other things, spoke about relations between Russia and Bulgaria. According to him, for 70 years the Kremlin kept Bulgaria dependent on its energy resources. He noted that the only oil refinery in Bulgaria belongs to Lukoil.
According to Petkov, Russia, with the help of Gazprom, corrupts the Bulgarian elite, which enriches itself by concluding contracts with a Russian company. According to him, some officials deliberately signed agreements to buy expensive gas at the expense of taxpayers, despite cheaper alternatives.
“Most often, the same people get rich by diverting funds and making deals with Russians that damage the economic and political independence of our country. We have found that by fighting corruption, we are jeopardizing the goals of Russian foreign policy, — he said.
Read on RBC Pro Pro I have low blood pressure. Is this normal or should I call an ambulance? Instructions Pro Liquidate or leave: what is happening with the trusts of Russians in Europe Articles Pro Five exercises for a healthy back 4.15 am Articles Pro “The current one would be disgusted with myself at 20”: how Bill Gates rests Articles Pro Why investors buy the Armenian dram and ignore the South African rand Articles Pro Why only 8% of Russians strive for unlimited wealthAt the end of April, Bulgaria reported that Gazprom Export had notified its Bulgarian partner, the Bulgargaz company, of the suspension of gas supplies. The Russian company later confirmed this, specifying that the decision was made due to Sofia's unwillingness to pay for gas in rubles.
Bulgarian Energy Minister Alexander Nikolov then explained that the procedure for paying for gas in rubles , which Russia insists, “involves significant risks.” “In practice, we will lose control of our money after paying in US dollars, as we agreed. There will be a risk of breach of — non-fulfillment [of the conditions] by a Russian bank, which will be responsible for converting the corresponding amount into rubles, — he clarified.
Later it became known that Bulgaria would buy liquefied natural gas in the United States at a price lower than that of Gazprom. In June, the Bulgarian government agreed with the Azerbaijani authorities on the pumping of Azerbaijani gas through the IGB gas pipeline. from 3 billion to 5 billion cubic meters m per year with the possibility of increasing up to 10 billion cubic meters. m.
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