Bulgaria and Poland were the first two countries to which Gazprom cut off the gas because their payments for natural gas were the first. This was explained by the Minister of Innovation and Growth Danier Laurer to Nova TV.
“Everyone in Europe whose contract reaches a point of payment will be met by Gazprom on the same terms, and the answer will be pan-European – not economic blackmail. No one will violate sanctions, no one will pay in rubles,” the minister is convinced.
According to him, the EU countries are also ready to be sanctioned, such as Bulgaria and Poland.
“Europe will need time to recover from its dependence on Russian gas, but this is a common policy and will only be negotiated together,” Lorer said.
According to him, none of the Bulgarian employers want Gazprom and payment in rubles, but all want gas at reasonable prices so that Bulgaria remains competitive.
According to him, the next wave of refugees will be from Russian citizens. “We have already managed to accommodate several hundred economic refugees from Russia, mostly engineers who understand what the economic catastrophe will be like there and are looking for a better future for themselves and their families,” Lorer said. that we need to prepare organizationally and legally for more refugees from Russia. ”
The Minister of Innovation and Growth also commented on the divisions in the ruling coalition. “Is this the responsible political position at a time when our country is facing economic blackmail when the whole of Europe is fighting for its future there in Ukraine, is this the responsible political position at the moment to put ideological considerations before the country’s stability?” Lorer asked, criticizing Deputy Prime Minister and BSP leader Cornelia Ninova, who issued an ultimatum that the Socialists would leave the coalition if Bulgaria decided to help Ukraine with weapons. However, he does not think that the BSP will leave the coalition and that in the end “political wisdom will prevail”.
The Minister is convinced that the coalition will find a formula on which to continue working together, as this was in the Bulgarian interest. “I believe that our coalition partners will agree with the formula,” Lorer said, insisting: “It was time to say clearly that we are in favor of exporting military-technical assistance to Ukraine. to help Ukraine as the whole EU. That is our message. ”
He commented on this topic: “I believe that in fact, all our coalition partners understand it deeply. They know that we must be together, because the country needs to be translated now, to be helped to get to the other side. ”
Lorer also commented on President Rumen Radev’s position on the war in Ukraine and Bulgaria’s policy. “In a situation of economic blackmail, Putin wants to stop Bulgarian factories. In such an economic attack on the country, we can not be divided into left and right, young and old, Russophiles, Russophobes. This position we expected from the president. We heard the position of fear, disunity, and questions about who we serve “, pointed out the minister from the quota of” We continue the change “.
