Gazprom informs Bulgargaz about halting gas deliveries from April 27 - Bulgarian ministry - TASS

Russian energy giant Gazprom has informed Bulgarian company Bulgargaz that it would halt natural gas supplies to Bulgaria starting from April 27, the Bulgarian energy ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Today, on April 26, Bulgargaz was notified that natural gas deliveries by Gazprom Export will be suspended starting from April 27, 2022," the ministry said.

"An analysis by state company Bulgargaz and the Bulgarian Energy Holding established that the new two-stage payment procedure, suggested by the Russian side, does not correspond to the current agreement, valid until the end of the year, and carries significant risks for the Bulgarian side, including payment without receiving gas from the Russian side," the statement says.

The document says that the Bulgarian energy ministry, Bulgarian Energy Holding, Bulgargaz and Bultransgaz have taken measures to reach alternative gas supply agreements. For the time being, there have been no restrictions on gas consumption in Bulgaria.