Bulgaria ceases oil imports from Russia

Bulgaria has enacted a complete ban on the import of Russian oil into the country effective today, 1 March.

Source: Bulgarian news outlet BGNES

Details: "A complete ban on Russia's oil imports to our country comes into effect today, following the ban on exports of products made from Russian raw materials on 1 January," the news agency reported.

Russia's war against Ukraine was the reason for the ban. Disputes have been raging in the Bulgarian parliament since mid-2023. Some parties called for a complete ban on Russian oil to be introduced. Bulgaria's National Assembly [parliament] adopted a decision that introduced a gradual reduction of Russian oil imports from the beginning of this year.

Background: In June last year, reports indicated that the Bulgarian Energy Ministry was preparing an arbitration claim against Gazprom, a Russian state-owned energy corporation, over the suspension of gas supplies in April 2022.

Bulgaria tried to re-establish contacts with Gazprom and sought to have gas supplies resumed, but the Russian company refused to give a clear answer.

The Bulgarian government has not given up on the possibility of suing Russia's Gazprom for cutting off gas supplies two months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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