Bulgaria wants more Azerbaijani gas

Bulgaria wants to receive all the contracted volumes of Azerbaijani gas from the Shah Deniz field in the amount of one billion cubic meters per year, Prime Minister of Bulgaria Kiril Petkov, who has recently assumed the office, told the Bulgarian media, adding that it is planned to discuss this issue with Azerbaijan, Report informs.

“Bulgaria will do everything possible to purchase the entire agreed volume of Azerbaijani gas, which is now almost 60% cheaper than gas from other sources,” Petkov said.

Since the beginning of 2021, natural gas has been supplied to Bulgaria from Azerbaijan under a contract of 1 billion cubic meters per year between the Azerbaijani company SOCAR and the Bulgarian Bulgargaz.

The prime minister noted that since the connecting line with Greece, the IGB gas pipeline, is not completed, gas is imported through the Kulata-Sidirokastro connection. “However, limited technical capabilities do not allow getting all agreed volumes. Of the contracted volumes, Bulgaria received only 225 million cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas in nine months from the beginning of the year,” he said.

Petkov said he would discuss this issue with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during his visit to Sofia these days. Negotiations with the leadership of Azerbaijan are also upcoming, he said.

Bulgaria is experiencing serious difficulties with gas supplies, as well as an increase in prices for heat and energy within the country due to the high cost of gas in Europe.