12.10.2023
Opportunities exist for cooperation between Bulgaria and France in the field of nuclear power, as came out of a meeting between Prime Minister Acad. Nikolai Denkov and Laurence Boone, State Secretary for Europe of France. France shows interest in joining the project for two new reactors for the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). In addition, last February a contract was signed with the French company Framatome to supply fresh nuclear fuel for Unit 6 of the Kozloduy NPP in the period 2025-2034. A draft declaration of intent for cooperation in the field of nuclear power between the two countries’ Ministries of Energy is being discussed.
The Prime Minister explained to his guest that the caretaker government’s promises to assign a prefeasibility study for the construction of the Belene NPP to the French company EDF were unfulfillable. “That project never stood a real chance to materialize and the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the European sanctions against Russia finished it off altogether,” Acad. Nikolai Denkov said. Just a few days ago, the Bulgarian government struck off the construction of a second nuclear power plant.
The Prime Minister and Laurence Boone noted the intensive defense cooperation between the two countries. France shows interest in the modernization projects of the Bulgarian army – French companies bid in tenders for the supply of technology equipment.
France supports Bulgaria in its major foreign policy priorities – the accession to Schengen, to the Eurozone and to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The Prime Minister thanked the French Ambassador to Bulgaria Joel Meyer for the visit of the MEDEF delegation (Mouvement des Entreprises de France). Today and tomorrow representatives of more than a hundred French companies and societies explore on site the business opportunities in Bulgaria.
