BULGARIA AND RUSSIA HAVE ALREADY AGREED THE PRICE OF NATURAL GAS

The tariff would be convenient both for the buyer and the seller, according Gazprom Spokesperson Sergey Kupriyanov

Bulgaria and Russia have already agreed the price of natural gas under the new direct gas supply contract which is to take effect on January 1, 2013, according to Gazprom spokesperson Sergey Kupriyanov and Leonid Chugunov, head of Gazprom Project management department.

Kupriyanov and Chugunov, as cited by Sofia News Agency, declared in Moscow that Russian energy giant Gazprom and Bulgaria's state-owned gas supplier Bulgargaz had reached an agreement on the new price of Russian gas for Bulgaria but they refused to specify the tariff.

On Thursday, Delyan Dobrev, Minister of Economy, Energy, and Tourism, voiced certainty that Bulgaria would win better terms under the next gas supply contract than the 11% discount applicable in the period April 1 – end-December 2012.

Saying that the price under the new contract was confidential information, Kupriyanov assured that the tariff would be convenient both for the buyer and the seller.

The new gas supply contract between Gazprom and Bulgargaz is to be signed on Wednesday or Thursday next week.

Bulgaria has tied the adoption of a final investment decision on the South Stream gas pipeline project to the signing of a favorable gas supply contract with Gazprom.