site.btaGERB Leader Borissov Identifies Priorities of Parliament's Autumn Session

GERB leader Boyko Borissov Friday identified the adoption of constitutional amendments as one of the priorities in the Parliament's autumn session. "We should adopt the Commission for Anti-Corruption and Illegal Assets Forfeiture, put into action the Recovery and Resilience Plan and achieving progress towards Bulgaria's accession in the Schengen area and the euro area," he added.

"That was the point of forming a regular government. We came together to do these 4-5 things. So far there is progress. As long as this is the case, that will hold the government together," Borissov pointed out. 

Alexey Petrov and the government

Borissov told the reporters that the late Alexey Petrov, a controversial businessman, had close relations with the father of Continue the Change co-leader and former Prime Minister Kiril Petkov. "He sought options for making something stable after five consecutive elections, at least for the legislative framework. [...] We met with him, he met with them so that we could establish some fragile trust. But he never heard an offer for a [government] office during our talks. If there was any, you should ask somebody else," said Borissov.

Petrov has long been rumoured to have had a role in the formation of the government but government officials have denied that.

Balkan Stream/TurkStream

The former Prime Minister was asked by reporters about suspected irregularities in the contracting for the construction of the TurkStream gas pipeline extension in Bulgaria, which he calls Balkan Stream. The prosecution service said on August 31 that it is going to look into reports of irregular contracting in the project that was built in Bulgaria under Borissov as Prime Minister as a top-priority project.

"I believe that with Balkan Stream - at a time when Turkey and Greece did everything possible to isolate Bulgaria from the gas transmission routes and make sure they go only through Turkey and Greece - we fought and built Balkan Stream, which is 100% state-owned. 100% owned by you and currently a money machine for Bulgarian citizens. Every year in the order of BGN 700-800 million go into your pockets, to all Bulgarians. Is this bad?! Ddo I have to explain why it is not in Greece, why it is not in Turkey?! I am not a traitor! On the contrary - I have done everything for the benefit of the Bulgarians," Borissov said.

He urged the press to investigate whether there was a meeting in Moscow on Balkan Stream between the current Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Andrei Tsekov, and Russian MP Alexander Babakov. He would not provide further details and said the reporters should try to find out themselves.

Babakov's name cropped up in an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Fund into irregular contracting for Balkan Stream, involving officials Bulgaria, Russia and possibly Saudi Arabia.

Approached by Dnevnik.bg for comment, the Regional Development Ministry denied that there has been a meeting between Tsekov and Babakov. "Andrei Tsekov travelled to Russia over 10 years ago in his capacity as a lawyer. In Moscow, in the Russian Federation or elsewhere in the world, he has never communicated with Russian politicians," the Ministry told Dnevnik.