Bulgaria’s Fuel Supply at Risk Amid Legal Changes, Opposition MP Cautions
Bulgaria could face uncertainty in fuel supplies in the coming months, warned Radoslav Ribarski
In Blagoevgrad, three effigies representing what protesters perceive to be monopolists in Bulgaria were symbolically hanged from a bridge. The effigies represented Lukoil, mobile operators and the CEZ power distributor. Photo by BGNES
Protests took place in a number of Bulgarian cities on Sunday against high fuel prices in the country.
The protesters gathered in Sofia, Sliven, Kyustendil, Pazardzhik, Blagoevgrad, Varna, Burgas, Lovech and other cities and town, with the demonstration in Sliven being most massive, according to the Bulgarian National Television. Some 300 people and approximately 150 vehicles gathered in the southern Bulgarian town.
In Blagoevgrad, three effigies representing what protesters perceive to be monopolists in Bulgaria were symbolically hanged from a bridge. The effigies represented Lukoil, mobile operators and the CEZ power distributor.
Protesters have once again complained about what they see as the abuse of a dominating marked position for car fuels in the country by Russian-owned company Lukoil Bulgaria.
Bulgaria could face uncertainty in fuel supplies in the coming months, warned Radoslav Ribarski
Bulgaria’s government is moving quickly to introduce legislation that would allow the appointment of a special state manager to oversee the operations of Lukoil in the country.
Police in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, have uncovered an organized criminal group responsible for siphoning large amounts of fuel from a Lukoil pipeline located south of the city.
The European Commission has urged Bulgaria to move faster on expanding the capacity of the Chiren gas storage facility
Former Energy Minister Alexander Nikolov has warned that Bulgaria could face substantial economic losses due to the recent parliamentary decision to ban Lukoil from exporting diesel and aviation fuel
Bulgaria is holding consultations with Washington to explore the possibility of obtaining a temporary exemption from the new US sanctions imposed on Russian oil companies, including Lukoil
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