Bulgaria will terminate contracts and transit of Russian gas in 2026, and completely abandon transit in 2028.
Points of attention
- Bulgaria will terminate Russian gas transit contracts in 2026 and completely abandon transit by 2028, opting for LNG imports instead.
- The country has secured LNG supply agreements with the United States to meet its gas needs and ensure energy security.
- Bulgaria's decision to diversify energy resources includes research agreements on rare earth metals with the University of North Dakota.
Bulgaria refuses Russian gas: what is known
This was stated by the country's Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov during a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York.
According to Zhelyazkov, the country already fully meets its own gas needs by importing LNG through terminals in Greece and Turkey.
Bulgaria has also signed agreements with the United States for the supply of LNG on favorable terms, which allows it to guarantee coverage of domestic demand in the fall and winter.
Zhelyazkov recalled that after the end of the EU exemption, Bulgaria no longer processes Russian oil at the Neftochim refinery.
In addition, the country signed a memorandum with the University of North Dakota on cooperation in the field of rare earth metals research, which will be part of a strategy for diversifying energy and critical resources.
The transit of Russian gas to Europe through Bulgaria is carried out via the TurkStream gas pipeline.
About 15-16 billion cubic meters of gas are transported annually through this route, the main destinations being Serbia and Hungary.
Bulgaria's long-term contract to import Russian gas ended in 2022 after the country refused to pay in rubles, but transit supplies to neighboring countries continue.
