At the first reading, the deputies approved the Agreement between Bulgaria and the USA for the construction of a new unit at the Kozloduy NPP with AP 1000 technology

The Parliament ratified in the first reading the Agreement between the governments of Bulgaria and the USA on the Project for the construction of nuclear power at the Kozloduy NPP site and the Nuclear Program for Civil Purposes of the Republic of Bulgaria, signed in Sofia on February 12, 2024. "For" were 149 deputies, "against" – 50, three abstained.

With a decision of the National Assembly of January 12 and December 18, 2023, the Minister of Energy was obliged to take all actions to make a positive decision for the construction of a new nuclear power plant with AR1000 technology. Pursuant to the decision, a draft agreement was prepared with a framework for strengthening cooperation in the implementation of a Project for the design, construction and commissioning of a new reactor with an installed capacity of at least 1000 megawatts at the Kozloduy NPP.

After the entry into force of the law, the Minister of Foreign Affairs must notify the United States through diplomatic channels of the ratification of the agreement, and the Minister of Energy must publish the document in the "State Gazette" within 15 days from the date of its entry into force for Bulgaria, they wrote the MPs quoted by BTA.

From "Vazrazhdane" and "BSP for Bulgaria" they were categorically against the ratification of the document and defined it as national betrayal.

The leader of "Vazrazhdane" Kostadin Kostadinov commented that at the moment we have a heavy energy dependence on the USA. According to him, when two new reactors of the Kozloduy NPP are added, the fifth and sixth units will be closed at the end of their service life, and then 60-70 percent of our electricity production will be in the hands of a foreign country.

His colleague Kosta Stoyanov asked the resigned Minister of Energy, Rumen Radev, why the procedure is not under the Public Procurement Act (PPA) and, if the authorities refer to the exceptions in it, whether permission was requested from the EC to carry out exactly such a procedure. There was no name of the supplier who would supply the technology for the site, the agreement did not even include the technology, there was only a specific name of a bank. "Vazrazhdane" asked who on the American side had signed the agreement and announced that they would refer all competent authorities.

The agreement on the US side was signed by Andrew Light, Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the Department of Energy, replied the outgoing Minister of Energy Rumen Radev.

On the subject of the PPA, he explained that this is a ratification of an intergovernmental agreement, in which it is said that each of the countries strictly observes its procedures and its national legislation, and Bulgaria - the European one. This agreement has been notified by the EC, the minister stressed.

Is Bulgaria a sovereign state, if this is not national treason, what else do you have to do to qualify it as national treason, said Borislav Gutsanov from "BSP for Bulgaria". He added that it is a matter of giving permission for the construction of a conceptual project. Where is this thing - without the necessary documents to build a nuclear power plant, are you going to build an experimental site in Kozloduy, asked the deputy. How is 14 billion dollars paid, is this a profitable project, will this plant work - this is another "black hole" for stealing money with the clear awareness that the project cannot be realized, said Gutsanov.

Rumen Gechev from the left said that nowhere in the Westinghouse contracts is there a ceiling on the price, there is no guarantee for the price at which it is built, as much as they want - that's how much it costs. Also, Westinghouse is a Canadian company. That is, according to Gechev, Bulgaria is signing an agreement with a country (the USA) that is not the owner of "Westinghouse", and this is happening when the next "Magnitsky" list is expected. A resigned government signs a blank cheque, makes the National Assembly sign to save the cabinet from prison, commented the representative of the left.

The chairman of the energy commission Delyan Dobrev (GERB-SDS) proposed, and the parliament accepted, that the period between the two readings be three days.