Gazprom

The leader of GERB and ex-Prime Minister, Boyko Borissov, accused former PM Kiril Petkov and former deputy PM Asen Vassilev of deliberate actions and sabotaging the supplies of American liquefied gas in Bulgaria.

According to Borissov, Petkov's office did not sign the contract and did not reserve a delivery point for unloading the tankers.

"'Democratic Bulgaria' is categorically against the return of 'Gazprom' as a gas supplier to Bulgaria and demands a clear position on the actions of the caretaker government from all political forces that define themselves as professing Euro-Atlantic values.

Ukraine has offered to provide its gas transmission network for the delivery of Russian gas to Europe after Nord Stream 1 has been failing so much lately and constantly having to shut down the gas on it.

"Gazprom" announced that it will stop the gas on this pipeline again for a technical inspection from August 31 to September 2.

"Perhaps the negotiations with Gazprom are immoral and unpleasant, most likely Russia is not a reliable long-term partner, but we will continue our trade relations".

This was stated to BNT by the Deputy Prime Minister for the management of European funds, Atanas Pekanov.

A worker works at the construction site of the Balkan Stream gas pipeline near the village of Kamenovo, Bulgaria, 01 June 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEV

"This is inevitable and these negotiations will be hard," Hristov told local media, saying that Bulgaria will have no gas resources after September.

"Things with the interconnector to Greece are under control, the whole country has been mobilized. A lot of time has been wasted, in which nothing has really been done," said at a briefing Hristo Alexiev, Acting Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policies and Minister of Transport and Communications, Chairman of the Crisis Staff.

According to data from the London Stock Exchange ICE, natural gas prices on the European market crossed the $3,000 mark for 1,000 cubic meters for the first time since the beginning of March.

From November 1, Serbia will not be able to receive oil from Russia, which is delivered to the country by tankers across the Adriatic Sea and then by pipeline through Croatia. This is what Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said to the media.

Russian gas deliveries to Europe through the Nord Stream pipeline will cease from August 31 to September 2 for "maintenance", Russian energy giant Gazprom has said, raising the prospect of energy shortages in Europe.

European gas prices soared to a new record high at the close of trading on Aug. 19 after Gazprom's announcement. 

The price of gas on the spot market in Europe rose to 261 euros per megawatt hour after Gazprom announced that it would temporarily stop the supply of blue fuel through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.