Article Author:
Associated Press
Sofia, Bulgaria (AP) — Hundreds of Bulgarians took to the streets of the capital Sofia on Wednesday as the country's caretaker government broke with the policies of its pro-Western predecessors and returned to closer energy ties. expressed concern that with Russia.
His second in a series of planned protests under the slogan #GAZwithme took place in front of the presidential palace in Sofia, with organizers calling for greater accountability from the interim cabinet. said that
Many in the European Union and NATO member state Bulgaria have taken a hardline stance on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and refused to pay Russian energy giant Gazprom in Russian rubles, leading to the pro-Western government. feared overthrown in his June. currency.
In late April, Russia cut gas supplies to Bulgaria, the EU's poorest country, after rejecting Moscow's request to pay in rubles. Relations between two former Soviet bloc allies strained under the previous administration.
The first official statement by the current caretaker government, appointed by President Rumen Radev, indicates that Bulgaria may resume talks with Gazprom to avoid a natural gas shortage later this year. there is
"We refuse to depend on Gazprom and we refuse to fund Putin's outrageous wars!" read one of the banners at the protest.
His Atanas Sharkov, one of his organizers of the protest, called on his Radev, who is directly responsible for the actions of the Caretaker Government, to ensure that previous decisions were not changed. .
He argued that Gazprom must stop being Bulgaria's sole gas supplier. "It's time to follow European policy and become part of Europe," Sharkov said.
Last month, Greek and Bulgarian leaders marked the completion of a new pipeline that will supply natural gas from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria. According to them, commercial deliveries should start by October 1st.
