Bulgaria Fired Minister: Bravo for Belene, Too Early to Party

Business » ENERGY | March 29, 2012, Thursday // 10:20
Bulgaria: Bulgaria Fired Minister: Bravo for Belene, Too Early to Party Traikov's dismissal earlier this month left – both on the home and foreign front – the impression that the government strengthens its anti-expert, pro-party and pro-Russian line. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's decision to abandon plans to build Belene nuclear power plant is the best one, the former energy and economy minister has said, adding also a word of caution.

"Things did not look very promising while I was in the government. Obviously something has happened following my resignation, which has tipped the scales in favor of this decision. In this sense I think all the efforts paid off," Minister Traicho Traikov told the Bulgarian National Radio Thursday morning.

In his words Bulgaria can get out of this situation with benefits, but it's also possible that everything goes wrong again.

"The people involved in the negotiations and project organization hereafter carry a huge responsibility," Traikov warned.

A Russian-built reactor, which had been ordered for the facility, could now be installed at an existing nuclear plant at Kozloduy, an idea, which Traikov said he had voiced as early as in January.

"[Finance Minister] Simeon Djankov and I presented this idea in Moscow, but the Russians provided no reply while I was part of the government. Apparently this has happened later on," Traikov said.

Bulgaria?s government announced on Wednesday it has abandoned plans to build a new, 2000 megawatt nuclear power plant on the Danube River for which it has contracted Russian state firm Atomstroyexport.

The government has proposed that a gas-powered plant is built on the site in Belene.

The news came as a surprise not least because Traikov's dismissal earlier this month left – both on the home and foreign front – the impression that the government strengthens its anti-expert, pro-party and pro-Russian line.

Traikov's successor will travel to Moscow on Thursday, a day after the government decided to abandon plans to build Belene nuclear power plant on the Danube River.

Minister Delyan Dobrev is expected to officially inform Russia of the government's decision for the project and make an attempt to persuade the Russian company not to take legal action.

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Tags: Moscow, Bulgaria, Russia, Belene, Boyko Borisov, Delyan Dobrev, Vladimir Putin, Traicho Traikov

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