Vladimir Malinov: Bulgaria is ready to help Ukraine to restore the electricity system

Bulgaria and the Ministry of Energy in particular are ready to help Ukraine in the restoration of its electricity system, which suffered from the military actions in the country. This was said by the Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov in a video conference call with his Ukrainian counterpart German Galushchenko. According to Malinov, quick, timely and purposeful efforts in this process are of particular importance in view of the successful preparation of the Ukrainian side for the next winter season. Through the embassy of Ukraine in Bulgaria, our country has already received a list of the necessary equipment and it is expected that it will be prioritized as soon as possible, it became clear during the conversation. This is of particular importance to achieve the best efficiency in aid to the Ukrainian side.

Minister Malinov informed his colleague Galushchenko about his upcoming conversation with the European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson. With what appropriate financial instruments the European Union can help Ukraine in the recovery process will be the main topic of the discussion between the two.

Accelerating the process of supplying equipment for the Belene NPP to Ukraine was another topic of conversation between Ministers Malinov and Galushchenko. The Bulgarian Energy Minister informed about the preliminary talks he led with representatives of the National Assembly, as a result of which a good horizon was reached for the finalization of the deal in the coming months. We perfectly understand the importance of this process and will make every effort to speed it up as much as possible, said Malinov.

The two ministers also discussed the prospects after the suspension of the transit of Russian natural gas through Ukraine from the beginning of next year. Minister Malinov informed his colleague about the possibility of "Bulgargaz" supplying liquefied natural gas through the terminals in Greece and Turkey and proposed to his colleague the creation of a joint working group to coordinate this process. According to Minister Malinov, there is real solidarity in the EU regarding the need to keep both natural gas transport and storage assets in good condition. This is key for the security of the energy system, pointed out Minister Malinov.