site.bta15th Annual Conference between Government, Business Focuses on Energy Price Crisis, Recovery and Resilience Plan

Sofia, October 12 (BTA) - The 15th Annual Government Meets the Business Conference, oragnized by Capital, focused on the energy price crisis and the opportunities for stabilizing the economy through the Recovery and Resilience Plan. Caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Yanev said here late on Monday that a working group will create a sustainable development strategy of Bulgaria's energy base in the coming decades, which should include nuclear power. Yanev said that 2038 is an indicative year for putting an end to the use of coal power in Bulgaria, adding that the caretaker Cabinet has not yet abandoned the option of negotiating with the European Commission 2040 as another possible year. The decision on the precise date will be made by the end of this week, he said.

Caretaker Energy Minister Andrey Zhivkov said during the conference that the current energy strategy is missing two things - decarbonization and the future of nuclear energy. According to him, these two topics must be further developed and adapted to the current situation.

Fast catching up had to be done when it comes to the decarbonization strategy, because the European Commission has made this binding for the submission of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Nuclear energy and renewable energy sources can complement each other perfectly, Zhivkov said.

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Answering a question during the forum, President Rumen Radev said there is no way judicial reform can be achieved without a parliament. This means a commitment on behalf of the political parties, the public and the judicial system, said the head of State.

He recalled that "we have also drafted a motivated version for amending the Constitution, but there was no way we could have submitted it to parliaments that had not yet started working". MY