site.btaFinance Minister Vassilev: Talks Launched with Greece on Building New Nuclear Power Facility

Speaking to Nova TV on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Assen Vassilev said that Bulgaria has started talks with Greece on building a new nuclear power facility "to be used by Greece under a 20-year agreement". Vassilev did not answer a question where the nuclear power facility will be located. He said that work on it is to proceed quickly, given that there is a buyer of the power, which he noted eliminates the business risk. 

Vassilev's statement came after some weeks ago opposing views appeared in the four-party government about the fate of the scrapped project for a nuclear power plant at Belene. 

In the TV broadcast on Sunday Vassilev said that Bulgaria, who is a shareholder in the LNG terminal in Greece's Alexandroupolis will also become a shareholder in the port and thus have access to the Aegean Sea. 

Vassilev also said that the government has "plans and preparations" to avert an energy crisis. He noted that two weeks ago the cabinet already knew there would be a war in Ukraine. "The Bulgarian government has been getting ready with alternative energy sources and with a total review of the [wartime] reserves, and of all other measures that need to be taken," Vassilev said. 

The Deputy Prime Minister said he does not expect a reaction from Russia specially to Bulgaria. Rather, such will be to the EU in general. "In the short term, the biggest harm would be halting the supplies of gas. We have been working on this. Greece has already sold Bulgar additional quantities of gas, which it does not use. We have an agreement with them to help with electricity, if necessary," Vassilev said.