Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has vowed to give the Lukoil Neftochim refinery one last chance to comply with regulations. Photo by BGNES
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has tried to alleviate tensions surrounding the Burgas-based Lukoil refinery while maintaining a critical stance toward the failure of the plant to comply with the regulations.
"Finance Minister Simeon Djankov will attend a meeting with the management of Lukoil on Thursday at 10:00, when the refinery will be given a last chance for a potential schedule for bringing its facilities in line with the requirements in two months' time", Borisov said Wednesday.
The Prime Minister was asked to comment on the revoked tax warehouse operator of Lukoil Neftochim.
Reminding that "all are equal before the law", Borisov added that the refinery had been warned one month ago that it had to install the mandatory measuring devices.
He further informed that 20 mobile customs units were monitoring warehouse reserves at the refinery.
Earlier Wednesday, Customs Agency head Vanyo Tanov ruled out the option of Lukoil getting a new deferral for providing the required measuring equipment.
"They have had plenty of time, more than a year, to take the necessary steps connected to the implementation of the law", Tanov said.
Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov also tried to assuage fears, assuring that the local fuel market would not be hit by a crisis due to the sufficient number of fuel importers in the country.
Following a one-hour meeting between Djankov, Tanov and Lukoil CEO Valentin Zlatev, the director of the Bulgarian branch of the oil giant said that the plant had gone into emergency operating mode, stressing that the firm was legally compliant and naturally abided by the issued recommendations.
Russian Lukoil executives have arrived in Sofia to negotiate with representatives of the Bulgarian institutions.
At the same time, Bulgarian left-wing leader Sergey Stanishev said the turmoil at the refinery was a theatrical performance, reminding of the close ties between Lukoil Bulgaria CEO Valentin Zlatev and Prime Minister Borisov.
Right-wing leader Ivan Kostov, however, insisted that the Wednesday event signaled the beginning of a war against monopoly.