Bulgaria has no choice but to negotiate with Gazprom - energy min

Negotiations are likely to be long and hard, with the ministry, which is prepared for various talk scenarios, awaiting Gazprom's response, Hristov said in a live broadcast by state television BNT.

Bulgaria does not have sufficient quantities of natural gas for October and beyond, deputy prime minister Hristo Aleksiev said as seen in the same broadcast.

The comments came after the Bulgarian caretaker government on Friday decided to accept only part of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries offered by US energy company Cheniere, saying it failed to negotiate delivery slots at favourable prices for the full amount.