Balgarianovinite.com The government is maintaining an active dialogue with the management of Lukoil’s companies in Bulgaria to prevent disruptions to the fuel market, Deputy Prime Minister and Economy, Investment and Industry Minister Alexander Poulev said during a hearing before the National Assembly Committee on Economic Policy, Investment and Industry in response to a question from Democratic Bulgaria MP Martin Dimitrov.
Poulev stressed that the Lukoil Neftohim refinery in Burgas is a strategic asset not only for Bulgaria but also for the wider region, and that any disruption to its normal operations would have a negative impact on the fuel market and the economy.
He said a mechanism has been established for regular communication and information exchange between the government and the management of Lukoil’s operations in Bulgaria, enabling potential risks to the market to be identified and addressed in a timely manner.
The minister explained that the current situation stems from a series of developments, including an early demand by Litasco, a Switzerland-based company of the Lukoil group, for repayment of an intra-group loan, which has strained relations between the companies. According to Poulev, complying with such a request would also risk breaching the sanctions regimes currently in force.
Poulev has met with the Neftohim management to discuss the possibility of diversifying crude oil supplies. The aim is for the refinery to process high-quality crude that meets the production’s technical requirements while improving the security of supply.
Regarding the arbitration proceedings, the minister said the matter falls within the remit of the Finance Ministry, which is monitoring developments in the case and has the necessary information.
Taking a separate question from the Continue the Change parliamentary group, Poulev said an independent international audit of Lukoil’s businesses in Bulgaria is needed to establish and verify some of the identified risks.
Poulev explained that the first actions of the new special commercial administrator of Lukoil’s assets in Bulgaria focused on conducting an internal assessment of the company’s current situation. Based on the preliminary analysis, it was determined that there is a need to engage an independent international auditor.
According to Poulev, the special commercial administrator has contacted major international audit and consulting firms, including representatives of the so-called Big Four, as well as other well-established international companies.
The minister said the procedure is being prepared on an urgent basis and that, once the audit is completed, its findings will be presented to the National Assembly.
Poulev added that a communication mechanism has already been established between the special commercial administrator and parliament, and MPs will be informed of the audit’s conclusions and the measures taken.
On June 3, the government dismissed Rumen Spetsov as special commercial administrator of Lukoil’s operations in Bulgaria under the Act on the Administrative Regulation of Economic Activities Related to Oil and Petroleum Products, and appointed Evgeni Simeonov as his successor. Government Maintains Dialogue with Management of Lukoil’s Assets in Bulgaria to Prevent Fuel Market Disruptions 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-08 13:50:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law