Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, had been appraised of all details and had approved the final version of annex 12, signed Tuesday by the Bulgarian National Electric Company, NEK, and the Russian "Atomstroyexport."

The news was reported Wednesday in a special press conference for the media by the ousted NEK Director, Krasimir Parvanov, who is blamed for signing the annex without permission, committing Bulgaria to build its second Nuclear Power Plant, NPP, in the Danube town of Belene.

On Tuesday, NEK and "Atomstroyexport" agreed to sign in two months the contract for the execution, delivery and construction of the NPP, instead of the previously announced by Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, freeze of the project.  Later that day, Economy and Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov, announced he has fired Parvanov because the latter exceeded his authority and signed a text he was explicitly banned from endorsing.

The NEK Director explained during the press conference that March 31 was the absolute deadline to have an agreement with the Russians, saying until mid-day Tuesday "Atomstroyexport" experts were in Bulgaria, and the documents had to be signed prior to their departure.

Parvanov pointed out not only Djankov had been informed about the signing, but Traikov also knew about every single word that would alter the text, however, the Finance Minister has approved the changes while the Energy one never gave a final answer.

The NEK Director further informed he had attended the Wednesday meeting of the Council of Ministers where he had given details about the negotiations and the endorsed documentation.

"Traikov statements do not hold an ounce of truth because the documents we signed do not commit Bulgaria to anything different than what we had before," Parvanov declared.

Two such documents have been signed, according to the NEK Head – a memorandum to align the NPP project with the new nuclear safety requirements of the European Union within the next three months, and the notorious annex 12 – an agreement, which Parvanov says, does not commit Bulgaria to sign a contract to build Belene with Russian participation by June, 2011.

"This annex, Traikov calls a contract, is one-page long. Why is the Minister not saying what would happen to NEK if we did not sign it? We received a letter from the Russians, claiming compensations in the amount of EUR 600 M," Parvanov explained, adding he had not acted deliberately and had never been told exactly what the NEK authority is in these types of negotiations.

"I am the scape goat; I would have been fired if I signed and if I didn't," the NEK Director stated, but pointed out he still has the post because his ousting can be done only with a decision of the Board of Directors of the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH).