The caretaker government has no idea how the gas transit to Serbia and Hungary will continue after December 20

Apostol Apostolov, 3eNews correspondent for Benelux

The caretaker government has not prepared a statement on the transit of Russian gas to Serbia and Hungary. This became clear today from the words of Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev in Brussels in response to 3e news. The Prime Minister's statement comes literally 24 hours before the visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to our country. It is on December 20 that Gazprombank's opportunity to offer an alternative way of paying for gas transit expires, after sanctions were imposed on the bank. The sanctions also include fees for Bulgaria for transmission through the Balkan Stream gas pipeline.

According to the caretaker prime minister, a meeting with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban is not even scheduled. "Refer all these questions to President Rumen Radev, who is hosting the meeting," was his laconic answer. The prime minister was in the Belgian capital for the EU-Western Balkans meeting. After the end of the short briefing, the prime minister again added that he did not even know whether the topic of sanctions against Gazprombank would be discussed at the Rumen Radev-Viktor Orban meeting. After additional clarification from Bulgarian journalists that the topic had already been discussed with the relevant minister Vladimir Malinov, Glavchev surprisingly stated: "I think that even then Radev spoke only with the Hungarian Foreign Minister." We recall that the meeting of President Radev with Orban is scheduled for December 20 at 12:30 in Sofia. The Hungarian prime minister will be visiting Bulgaria at the invitation of the Bulgarian head of state. The subsequent deepening of friendly bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Hungary, topics from the European Union agenda and the security environment in the region are expected to be the focus of the conversation.

Military aid to Ukraine

The important topic for the Bulgarian caretaker prime minister in Brussels seemed to be the agreement on military aid to Ukraine. If I gather a majority in the National Assembly, I will sign the agreement, said Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev in connection with the Agreement on Security Cooperation between the Republic of Bulgaria and Ukraine. We are in contact with the Ukrainian side, they show understanding, we are waiting for the National Assembly to take a position, Glavchev added.

The prime minister was categorical that he had no concerns about the document, which is more of a political declaration. Of the 27 member states of the European Union, only 6 countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta, Slovakia and Hungary) have not signed such an act. Glavchev pointed out that the agreement is legally non-binding, political and does not fall under the treaties that are subject to ratification by parliament. However, the Prime Minister is addressing the National Assembly because of the 10-year term of the agreement. We have such a caretaker government that signed a long-term contract and we are still “taking the piss out of” this contract, Glavchev recalled, quoted by the government’s press service.

Asked about the conversation held on Monday with the President of the European Council António Costa and the topic discussed regarding the Republic of North Macedonia, Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev was categorical that our country is part of the common European position. We support the enlargement with the Western Balkans, this is a geopolitical topic. Only the conditions for accepting member states must be observed, the Prime Minister added.