The Bulgarian government is calling an emergency meeting of the Monitoring Board of the Lukoil Bulgaria company, the Minister of Economy and Energy, Traicho Traikov, announced.

Traikov spoke Sunday for the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR, saying the Monitoring Board will be called to find out what exactly is going on with Lukoil. The State has a golden share in the business and has the right to undertake such move, he explained.

The Minister reiterated there is no fuel crisis in the country, except for jet fuel, which is a problem and a commitment of Lukoil Aviation, whose license has not been revoked. Second, in this issue, comes the commitment of Lukoil Neftohim, which had 15 months to install the electronic measuring devices, and failed to do so, according to Traikov.

The exact date and time of the emergency meeting is to be revealed Monday.

"In this case, this is a crucial test. Do we live in a country with a market economy and the rule of law; does this company have monopoly on the market, as some insist and Lukoil firmly denies? The Director of the Customs Agency, Vanyo Tanov, and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, are doing their job. I expect from citizens to support the government. Lukoil did not fulfill its commitments to the State budget and Djankov has full right to do what he is doing," Traikov stressed.

The Minister pointed out he was on the side of the workers in the Lukoil refinery, who have the right to keep their jobs and salaries, while the company must guarantee this right, adding as the person in charge of the sector, he also has interest to keep such large enterprise functioning and paying wages.

The team, established to monitor the situation of the fuels market, is working hard to control fuel supplies in the country, Traikov assured.

The Chair of the Association of Bulgarian Air Carriers, Svetoslav Yankulov, stated, also for BNR, the jet fuel reserves, unblocked by the government Saturday, would last for just 3-4 days. He further informed that currently the situation is under control and all planes that needed fuel have been refueled, but pointed out there is still no permanent solution for the problem because if negotiations for deliveries from Greece and Romania fail, the reserves might be tapped into again.

Minko Minkov, Chair of the Trade Union at the refinery, warned that workers there are ready to go on strike and demanded from Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, to take a personal look at their issue, all while accusing Traikov of acting as a young person without experience. Minkov said the company worked hard in the course of the year to install the required electronic measuring devices.

Meanwhile, Lukoil Bulgaria informed in an official letter that it is halting supply of diesel fuel to the State Railroad Company, BDZ. The move is based on the Railroads' debt to Lukoil amounting to BGN 2.5 M.

On Saturday, the cabinet released 1 800 tons of jet fuel from the State reserve. The fuel is destined for the airports of the Black Sea cities of Varna and Burgas where the summer tourist season is in its peak. Burgas currently has fuel to last only until Monday, Varna – until mid-week. Additional volumes for Burgas will be also redirected from the airport in the second largest city of Plovdiv. The order of the cabinet is for the release of jet fuel, kept in the Lukoil Bulgaria warehouses, for a week-long consumption.

Djankov and Traikov count on import from abroad to secure normal supplies for gas stations while the Interior Ministry will continue to receive for a month longer the fuel it had already ordered from Lukoil.

On Friday, Borisov, announced that crisis headquarters will monitor the situation on Bulgaria's fuel market after the local refinery of Russian oil giant Lukoil was forced to halt operations with Traikov heading the headquarters.

Bulgaria's Neftochim, the only oil refinery in the country, controlled by Russia's giant Lukoil, started on Wednesday to reduce crude processing to effectively stop production after the customs office revoked its licenses.

Vanyo Tanov, Director of the Customs Agency, has explained that the refinery cannot operate without the required electronic measuring devices Lukoil failed to install in its storage facilities, and can deal only with the fuels already outside the plant.

Valentin Zlatev, CEO of Lukoil Bulgaria, has often been described as "the country's back seat ruler" and "the oil oligarch, who pulls the strings of the government".

He is suspected of being the man behind Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

Zlatev has strongly denied the allegations.

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