Bulgaria’s interim government signaled its readiness to negotiate with Russian energy company Gazprom on the resumption of natural gas deliveries, the caretaker energy minister said, writes AP news.

Rosen Hristov didn’t set a date for talks with the firm, but said that the gas demands of the industry and heating companies were forcing the government to begin talks with Gazprom to renew supplies which he called “inevitable”.

Bulgaria’s contract with Gazprom expires at the end of 2022, but Russia halted deliveries in late April after the previous pro-Western government in Sofia refused Gazprom’s demand to pay for it in rubles.

“Obviously, we will have to hold negotiations with Gazprom, but those will be very difficult and hard talks”, - Hristov told reporters.

He said that Bulgaria has secured gas for October because of a liquefied natural gas shipment from U.S. company Cheniere, adding however that the government had rejected an option for further deliveries because “the rising costs for unloading would make the price of gas too high”.

Hristov didn’t say what price Gazprom would ask for, saying only that it would be “several times cheaper”.