Vice President: The contract with Botas was concluded in a very difficult period to guarantee the energy security not only of Bulgaria, but also of Europe

The contract with Botas was concluded in an extremely uncertain period. Let me remind you of some gas tankers that walked like phantoms in unknown seas, but never reached us. Therefore, the contract guarantees the energy security not only of Bulgaria, but also of the entire Southeast Europe. This was stated by Vice President Iliana Yotova to the media in Varna in connection with the GERB leader's latest accusations regarding the agreement for access to liquefied gas terminals and Turkey's gas transmission network.

She pointed out that after the contract was concluded, several governments, incl. and the so-called assembly, had every opportunity to renegotiate it with the Turkish side. "There is nothing that cannot be renegotiated. The result depends on the professionalism of those who are responsible for making decisions," Yotova stressed. She refused to comment on Borisov's latest words against President Rumen Radev. She only pointed out that Mr. Borisov has long been known for the language he uses.

The Vice President asked to hear the realistic positions on the issue with "Botas" of the responsible ministers, of the people who have to make decisions, because there is profit to be made from this contract. "The opinions of political leaders are not particularly important, because each of them defends party positions and this is part of the political game," said Yotova.

When asked whether the government is stable in view of the requested second vote of no confidence, the Vice President replied: The votes of no confidence even make it more stable. This is indicative of the fact that the first vote was rejected by more votes than the votes that voted for it. Those who claim that the votes are part of the campaign against the eurozone are also unfounded.

Regarding the eurozone and the request of the parliamentary group of "Continuing Change - Democratic Bulgaria" for a vote of no confidence after the release of the convergence report, Yotova stated that the report cannot be a guarantee for the stability of the government. "The convergence report has become a mantra, it is used for political purposes, and does not delve into the content of the important process of joining the eurozone. The report cannot be a guarantee for holding early elections, as well as for reconfiguring the parliamentary majority," the vice president emphasized. She pointed out that the European institutions are interested in fulfilling the membership criteria, not in domestic political emotions. In her words, energy and efforts should be directed at informing Bulgarian citizens, at attracting them as allies of the institutions in this process. The Vice President called for a broad information campaign to explain the benefits and risks, to respond to the legitimate concerns of Bulgarian citizens. In this campaign, the media will play a leading role, said Yotova.

Asked about the upcoming presidential elections next year, the Vice President said that it is too early to talk about this topic. “For us in the presidential institution, another topic is important – after years of political instability, Bulgaria should be stable and predictable against the backdrop of geopolitical changes,” said Iliyana Yotova and recalled that President Rumen Radev has given enough time after the last parliamentary elections to form a stable regular cabinet. “We are dealing more with internal conflicts, and we remain on the sidelines of major events. Important decisions are being made and Bulgaria will again find itself in the worst position – the object of implementing foreign policies, without participating in their formation,” said the Vice President. She noted that those responsible for the decisions for Bulgaria owe answers to a number of questions, giving several examples: What will be the consequences for Bulgarian business under the different options of American tariffs and reciprocal European ones? What will be the consequences for Bulgaria under the options of the development of the war in Ukraine, how could we be involved in the subsequent post-war reconstruction of the country?