Bulgaria signs long-term agreement for the use of Turkish gas terminals

Bulgaria has signed a long-term deal with its neighbor Turkey that will give it access to the country's liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and gas supply network, as Sofia aims to replace energy supplies once provided by Russia, Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday.

Bulgarian state gas company Bulgargaz and Turkish gas transmission company Botas signed a 13-year deal on Tuesday that stipulates that LNG that Bulgaria will buy on international markets will be unloaded and processed at Turkish terminals and then will be transferred through the Botas gas network in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria has been almost entirely dependent on Russian gas but is looking for alternatives after Moscow cut off supplies in April after Sofia refused to pay in Russian rubles in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.

"With this agreement we are providing the opportunity to buy gas from all global producers and unload it in Turkey, which suits Bulgaria best," said Bulgaria's interim energy minister, Rossen Hristov.

His Turkish counterpart, Fatih Donmez, said the deal would allow Bulgaria to transport around 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas a year and help increase security of supplies in Southeast Europe.

Bulgaria currently covers about a third of its annual gas needs by importing Azerbaijani gas and contracts traders to supply it with the rest through Greece.