Bulgaria has transferred money to repay its debt for the participation in the project for construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, said last week the spokesman of Russian company Transneft, Igor Demi, as quoted by Russian media.
Initially it was announced that Bulgaria’s obligations totalled about EUR6.5 million, but now what has been transferred is EUR4.7 million. According to Demi this amount covers only the principal of the debt and the Bulgarian country will not pay interest, because such payments do not appear as expense in the state budget.
In early December 2011, the Council of Ministers decided to suspend the participation of Bulgaria in the tripartite intergovernmental agreement with Greece and Russia on the construction of the pipeline from Burgas to Alexandroupolis. The government insisted the dissolution of the company be done by mutual consent, saying that if such agreement is not reached, it will have to withdraw unilaterally, after the expiration of the 12-month-period. I can assure you that there is no risk of penalties for us. We have worked over one year with international law firms and have all the assurances that the law is on our side, said on this occasion, Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov.
Back then, the Cabinet adopted a decree that granted up to BGN12.8 million from the state budget for the settlement of country’s obligations to other shareholders and the international project company. These are the contributions that had to be in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
