POLITICS-EC-BULGARIA-PRIME MINISTER

Prime Minister Petkov
Presents Plans of New Bulgarian Government
in Brussels


Brussels, December 17 (BTA correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday received newly appointed Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov and a delegation of the Bulgarian government including Deputy Prime Minister Assen Vassilev and Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska.

In remarks to Bulgarian media after the meeting, Prime Minister Petkov said that the European Commission is pinning great hopes on the Bulgarian government to complete promptly work on the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. He said that plans of the Bulgarian government in relation to corruption had far exceeded the expectations of the European Commission.

"Funding under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan accounts for 10 per cent of Bulgaria's GDP, but we should show zero tolerance for corruption within the entire 100 per cent," said the Prime Minister. According to him von der Leyen liked the firm position of the cabinet in this respect. He added: "We should show real success very quickly."

Of the need for changes to the National Recovery Plan he said that the government wants to consider in the best possible way the questions related to the energy system. Petkov said that the moratorium on energy prices gives a chance to the government to make a full assessment.

"I don't know whether this is the best price of natural gas, what is going on with the Azeri gas and why it is not included in the price of heating. We should establish these things before we increase the price of electricity for end consumers. It is the easy way out if households pay for all problems," he said.

"It is not good on the day when the government was sworn into office to increase the prices," he said. "This looks to me like a political move, which is not constructive for Bulgarian households," he added. Petkov voiced hope that the increase if any will be small.

"People will have electricity, the question is to be at the best possible price," said Petkov. He added that he does not expect electricity supply in the country to be rationed.

The Prime Minister expressed readiness to speed up the vaccination process and at the same time hear out the people who don't want to get vaccinated.

"I know why people don't want to get vaccinated, they don't trust the institutions and that's why the look for information. We should put the experts at the front," said the Prime Minister. He said that no mandatory vaccination is planned in Bulgaria.

Of talks with the Republic of North Macedonia Petkov voiced the hope for a prompt meeting with the new prime minister in Skopje and the establishment of joint working groups in order to achieve concrete results. He said that these groups can hold sessions every month and report on progress within a period of six months, as he had earlier said.

According to him, there should be clear plans for the building of infrastructure to provide the business on both sides of the border with better access. According to Petkov, the Balkans are a market as big as France and it will be better if the conversation focuses on what everybody can gain. LN/PP