The Bulgarian government and Litasco have reached an agreement that will allow Lukoil Neftochim Burgas to resume purchasing crude oil from all contractors registered in Switzerland starting July 1, marking what officials described as a significant step toward stabilizing the country's largest refinery.
The announcement was made during an extraordinary briefing at the Council of Ministers by the state's newly appointed special commercial administrator, Evgeni Simeonov, following a meeting between Prime Minister Rumen Radev and representatives of Litasco and Lukoil. Deputy Prime Ministers Galab Donev and Alexander Pulev also took part in the talks.
Simeonov described the agreement as "a major victory on the path we must take together to stabilize the refinery's operations." He explained that uncertainty surrounding crude supplies in recent months had forced the refinery to process heavier grades of oil, creating serious operational difficulties and placing additional strain on production facilities.
According to Simeonov, the restrictions originated from a loan granted by Litasco to Lukoil Neftochim Burgas in 2023. As part of that dispute, a court in Geneva imposed measures preventing the refinery from purchasing crude from other Swiss-registered suppliers. "What we managed to agree on today is that these restrictions requested before the Geneva court will be lifted," he said, adding that the refinery would now be able to source crude from all necessary Swiss counterparties.
