Bulgaria will give up transit of Russian gas

“Bulgaria will give up transit of Russian gas; without that, only Hungary and Slovakia remain.”

Bulgaria will terminate contracts and transit of Russian gas in 2026, and will completely abandon transit in 2028.

This was announced by Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov during his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York, according to Expergo.
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 LNG supplies under favorable terms, ensuring that domestic demand is met in the fall and winter.

Zhelyazkov recalled that following the expiration of the EU exemption, Bulgaria no longer processes Russian oil at the Neftochim refinery.
Furthermore, the country signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of North Dakota on cooperation in rare earth metal research, which will form part of its energy and critical resource diversification strategy.

Russian gas transits to Europe through Bulgaria via the TurkStream gas pipeline.
This route transports approximately 15-16 billion cubic meters of gas annually, with Serbia and Hungary being the main destinations. Bulgaria’s long-term contract for Russian gas imports expired in 2022 after the country refused to pay in rubles, but transit supplies to neighboring countries continue.