Bulgarian PM Determined to Finish Term in Office

Bulgarian Prime Minister, Plamen Oresharski, stated that he would leave office only after his term ends or a major failure in doing his job.

This was his answer to a Nova TV host, who asked him when he was planning to resign.

Back in June, alleged controversial media mogul and Member of the Parliament from the liberal, predominantly ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), Delyan Peevski, was appointed by Parliament as Chair of the State Agency for National Security (DANS).

This sparked a wave of protests seeking the resignation of the Socialist-endorsed Cabinet of Oresharski.

"I look at protesters as at people who do not agree with something, but I never learned what it was. I do not see these people as opponents, or, God forbid, enemies. I was not elected to win against anyone, but to work for the benefit of people and this is exactly what I am trying to do," said the PM.

As successes of his government he listed the reimbursed in full of VAT, the best budget balance since 2008, and improvement of concrete legislation, but noted the still-existing need of reforms in many sectors.

Regarding outrage of tobacco growers over the low purchase prices for their crop, Oresharski stated he was not expert in farming finances, but it was not normal to fix a certain minimum price.

"The best mechanism would be for producers to negotiate with the largest purchasers as the market here is very sensitive – there are periods of lower prices and of higher prices," said he.

Regarding the fate of the frozen Russian project to build a second Nuclear Power Plant, NPP, in the Danube town of Belene, the PM denied giving any information, grounding it on the ongoing arbitration case.

In mid-July 2011, Russia's state nuclear company Atomstroyexport initiated proceedings at the International Court of Arbitration in Paris against Bulgaria's NEK over EUR 58 M in delayed payments for its work on two nuclear reactors.

Oresharski also commented on the construction of the Russian-sponsored South Stream gas pipeline in saying the contractors' public tender has not been finalized and the cost is yet unknown, but according to flash estimates it would be about EUR 3.5 B.

"There is not an option for Bulgaria to not benefit from this project," he concluded firmly.

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