By suspending the license of the largest refinery on the Balkans,
LUKOIL, Bulgaria's government cast a heavy blow on Moscow's interests in
the region, Russian media wrote yesterday.
LUKOIL Neftochim has a
processing capacity of 142,000 barrels of crude oil a day. Half of its
production is for domestic consumption and the other half is exported to
third countries - Bulgaria's neighbors, USA and Asia, the New Region
daily writes.
The editor makes it a point that the move is aimed at
reducing Russia's influence on the Balkans.
According to marker.ru,
the suspension of LUKOIL's license may result in shortage of gasoline on
Bulgaria's home market.
With its decision Bulgaria destines itself
to a fuel collapse, representatives of the Russian company stated for
the website. Apart from that, Bulgaria "robs" itself of its biggest
tax-payer which provides 25% of all tax revenues to the state treasury.
Bulgaria
dictates conditions to Lukoil, Neftegaz.RU edition commented.
"It
can be suggested that this move did not happen without the influence of
the delayed developments connected with the construction of a NPP in
Bulgaria - (Belene NPP - editor's note) with Russian investment. Namely,
under the influence of these developments Bulgaria declared its
intention to diversify its oil and gas supplies at the expense of the
reduction of import of energy resources from Russia," the edition
underlines.
(from "Standard News", Bulgaria, 28/07/2011)