Rumen Radev: The protesters have reason to worry about their jobs

"Territorial plans have been sent to the European Commission (EC). This is only the beginning of the negotiations with Brussels, it does not predetermine the decisions", Energy Minister Rumen Radev told journalists after a meeting with the management of TPP "Maritsa East 2" and "Mini Maritsa East", which took place in a building of the TPP. The conversation continued for nearly four hours. An invitation to a meeting was also sent to the representatives of the trade union organizations, but they refused. The trade unionists insisted that the minister go to them at the places where traffic is blocked, reports BTA.

The main emphasis of the meeting was "to be sure that all the actions that are taken and what is being done and planned as steps forward, will inevitably guarantee and secure first the security of the electricity system and electricity production for the country." This is important to hear and understand from everyone as a consumer," Radev said. He emphasized that all the actions that must be done in preparation for the winter period have been taken.

According to him, tension should not be created in our society to set one group of people against another. All the people who have come out to protest, be it on the Thrace highway and the Hainboaz pass, or elsewhere, certainly do not threaten the functioning of the system at the moment. These are people who correctly acted in order to express their protest legally. And the fact that they are outside does not compromise the performance of their tasks, the minister also pointed out.

According to him, the protesters have reason to worry about their jobs. This is the most important thing discussed today. We discussed in detail both the general plan of the Mine and the annual work programs for a long time horizon, including the planned ones, said Radev. He added that possible tension gives rise to the idea of creating a state-owned enterprise or a state-owned operator for the conversion of coal regions. Radev expressed surprise that this is taken as a competition of the mining activity and if such an operator is created, it is possible to direct resources to it and this will lead to the acceleration of the coal mining activity in the mine. "If this causes fear, a balanced solution is in the structure of the Bulgarian Energy Holding to create this type of activity, so that in this way we can ensure the work and activity of the mine," said Rumen Radev. He stated that "the interest in jobs, security and power generation is our common interest, we are not on two sides of something", the energy minister also said.

Radev will now meet with the protesting miners, energy workers and trade unionists at the cloverleaf on the Trakia highway to Stara Zagora.

BTA recalls that before the meeting, Radev pointed out that what is most important for all people is to have conversations, to have dialogue, to be heard. I think there is hardly anyone who does not share concern about every workplace, he added.

The concern for the jobs and for the "Maritsa East" complex is shared with us

"The concern for the jobs and for the complex is shared, and it belongs to each of us," said Energy Minister Rumen Radev during a meeting with the protesting energy workers and miners who closed the Trakia highway. He emphasized that "they are not on different sides."

"If we want to be successful in what we do, we have to have everyone's support, not just our own," he added. The minister presented what happened during the meeting held earlier today with the management of TPP "Maritsa East 2" and "Mini Maritsa East", which was held in the building of the TPP.

Radev told journalists after the meeting that the Territorial Plans have been sent to the European Commission (EC). This is only the beginning of the negotiations with Brussels, it does not predetermine the decisions," said Radev.