News

News

The structure of Russian properties in Bulgaria is unclear

Tuesday, 1 October 2024, 07:04

Ministry of Justice building

Ministry of Justice building

PHOTO BGNES

Font size

Bulgaria has information on the holdings of companies with Russian involvement, but the scale and type of their investments are not entirely clear, caretaker Minister of Justice Mariya Pavlova said in response to questions asked by MP Martin Dimitrov during a parliamentary control. The information about what types of land and agricultural properties Russian companies own in Bulgaria is important for the implementation of the 12th EU sanctions package against Russia.
Minister Pavlova’s response states that 4,492 companies with Russian involvement own land properties, but it is unclear how many of them are farmland, pastures, forests, etc. A total of 1,428 companies are owners of one real estate property, while another 3,108 companies own at least two properties. According to caretaker Minister of Justice Mariya Palvova, 4,386 companies have acquired buildings or parts of buildings. In August, Moody's reported that there were 9,581 companies in Bulgaria that meet the 40% Russian-owned nexus. This places Bulgaria second in the EU in this regard, after the Czech Republic, Sega daily said.