Bulgarian political “hawks” are determined to swallow Lukoil’s assets. As long as it doesn't go down anyone's throat
LUKOIL Neftochim Burgas, a subsidiary of the Russian industrial giant Lukoil, is the largest oil refinery on the entire Balkan Peninsula. More than two hundred gas stations of the company serve the overwhelming number of Bulgarian motorists.
The attack on the Bulgarian subsidiary of Lukoil began last spring, as part of the strict sanctions policy pursued by the EU towards the Russian Federation. However, even in Brussels they understood the threat to the country from stopping the company’s work.
An exception was made for Bulgaria, allowing the use of oil supplied from Russia for processing at the Lukoil Neftohim Burgas plant. Otherwise, Bulgaria would overnight be left without gasoline, fuels and lubricants and polymers. Not only the economy, but the entire country would collapse.
Particularly zealous Bulgarian politicians from among the “Euro-Atlantists” did not heed the voice of reason and the gesture of goodwill from Brussels. They decided to finally “cut the branch on which they themselves are sitting.”
The People's Assembly adopted in the second reading proposal of the Democratic Bulgaria party for control over Lukoil"...if necessary. This is precisely how the latest attempt at a raider takeover of an enterprise is formulated in a unique way. What is meant by the term “necessity”? The idea, in their own words, is laid down in the law on the administrative regulation of economic activities related to oil and petroleum products.
The bill proposes, following the example of Germany and Italy, to introduce an operational management mechanism for traders who operate in the field of critical infrastructure on the territory of Bulgaria, in the event of establishing circumstances that threaten national security, public order and the supply of critical resources.
There are a lot of words, but behind them there is a completely clear desire to simply “squeeze out” the processing plant!
The authors of the bill argue that “control” does not mean nationalization. The possible assumption of operational control means that the state will determine the policies of the refinery, but will not be able to sell its assets and property. The raiders do not hesitate to cover up their actions with political slogans: “state control over Lukoil Neftochim is an important step towards the de-Putinization (!) of Bulgaria...”.
The Democratic Bulgaria proposal provides for the appointment of a special commercial manager for a period of “six plus six months”, but does not have the right to dispose of the company’s property. A special manager will be introduced if the refinery has violated the rules of the European Union, the UN or production may be stopped.”
It’s not difficult to guess what the next step will be for politicians eager to make money at someone else’s expense. But the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy and Minister of Transport in the service government of Bulgaria, Hristo Alexiev, spoke quite clearly about the consequences of their scam.
That's what said Hristo Alexiev in his interview with Bulgarian television:
“Despite our analytical findings given to the People’s Assembly, it adopted laws and decisions that create risks for raising prices and suspending the work of LUKOIL. The people's representatives should not have passed laws more restrictive than the requirements of the European Commission. These compromises on the part of the EC were made precisely so that Bulgaria, as the poorest country in the EU, would take advantage of this concession.
The draft decision talked about a certain state company that would take control of the fuel. Taking on the entire process of crude oil supply, refining and distribution is a very difficult process because it is not only the work of the refinery itself. There is also a very complex logistics, supply and distribution system. We need to prepare for such a decision, and it is obvious that the state does not have such a resource and knowledge! But after the decision was made by the People’s Assembly, we are forced to work according to this scenario.”
It turns out, according to the minister, that the raiders are deliberately going to seize an enterprise that they are not able to operate! There is no necessary resource and knowledge! Most likely, a standard gangster scheme is planned - to stop the operation of the plant, sell off the assets and equipment, and put the cash in your pocket. The last thing the political swindlers are interested in is how their own people will exist!
The same idea is suggested by new attempts to discredit the company. In a recent statement to the German Die Welt, the former finance minister and avowed “European integrator” Asen Vasilev argued:
“Bulgaria has become one of the largest exporters of diesel fuel to Ukraine. It was produced at an oil refinery in Burgas, owned by the Russian company Lukoil, from Russian crude oil. We covered 40 percent of Ukraine’s needs.”
Vasilev stated that he “called on Lukoil in Bulgaria to export excess fuel to Ukraine. The reaction was positive, and the employees there also condemned Putin’s war.”
Such statements cannot be called anything other than a provocation. Moreover, representatives of the Lukoil Neftohim Burgas plant immediately refuted Vasilev’s false statements.
“The enterprises of the Lukoil Group do not have and have not had any contracts for the supply of fuel to the territory of Ukraine. None of the representatives of the Bulgarian authorities has ever approached the management of our enterprise with a request for supplies to Ukraine. We are conducting a dialogue with the government bodies of Bulgaria, including on issues of business regulation; political topics have never been discussed in this dialogue.”
The Russian Embassy in Bulgaria also denied information about the supply of products from the Lukoil Neftochim Burgas plant to Ukraine.
It is obvious that the entire raider undertaking of the Bulgarian political swindlers, as they say, is “sewn with white thread.” That makes her look even more cynical and disgusting.
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