## Bulgartransgaz Agreement with Botas Raises Concerns
The Bulgarian National Assembly has instructed the Minister of Energy to renegotiate the agreement between the state-owned natural gas supplier Bulgartransgaz and the Turkish energy company Botas. This decision comes amidst concerns that the current agreement is not in the best interests of Bulgaria.
The MPs also voted to send the report of the Ad Hoc Committee of Inquiry to various investigative bodies, including the Bulgarian Prosecutor's Office, the European Public Prosecutor's Office, and the State Agency for National Security.
Only the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) party voted against these measures.
Several concerns have been raised about the Bulgartransgaz-Botas agreement. According to BSP for Bulgaria MP Borislav Gutsanov, Bulgarian citizens are paying USD 486,000 daily under this contract, regardless of whether gas deliveries are actually taking place. Additionally, Bulgartransgaz has reportedly lost 40% of its market share within a year.
We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria MP Ivaylo Mirchev highlighted two further issues with the contract. Firstly, it does not specify that the supplied gas must not be of Russian origin. Secondly, the European Commission was not consulted during the negotiation of this deal.
These concerns have prompted the National Assembly to take action to protect the interests of Bulgaria and its state-owned energy company. The renegotiation of the agreement and the investigation by various authorities are intended to address these issues and ensure transparency and accountability.