site.btaEnergy Minister Comments on Media Information About Hungarian Company MOL Being Among Bidders for Sale of Neftohim Refinery

Asked to comment on media stories that MOL (the Hungarian Oil and Gas Plc) is bidding for Lukoil Neftohim, caretaker Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov told journalists Monday that the Bulgarian State is closely monitoring, but cannot directly interfere in the process of changing the ownership of the Lukoil Neftohim refinery, which is currently a majority private shareholder.

"As a government and as Minister of Energy, we fully respect private ownership, from this point of view the Bulgarian State cannot have a decisive say in the change of ownership of the refinery", Malinov said, adding that from the point of view of the importance of the refinery not only for national security but also for Bulgarian energy security, the government is following these developments closely. "On December 18, there was a meeting of the Supervisory Board of the refinery, where through the representative of the State we have asked to be informed in due time about the process regarding the change of ownership, and we expect to be informed in due time at each stage", Malinov said.

Asked if the issue was discussed when he met with Hungarian Foreign and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto in Sofia earlier in December, Malinov said that at the meeting the Hungarian side had said that there was such interest and a Hungarian company was one of the participants in the process to submit bids to buy the majority ownership stake in the refinery.

Asked whether there should be a parliamentary sanction for such a decision, Malinov said that once the process of ownership change is completed, the Government is ready to prepare a report to present to the National Assembly, and from then on MPs will decide what act they should adopt and what action should be taken.