The state would maintain its majority share in the Belene nuclear power plant project, Economy and Energy Minister Roumen Ovcharov said.

Bulgaria could look for financial aid in the form of a loan from the European agency for atomic energy, Ovcharov said.

The country already requested co-operation from the European Commission for explanation on the loan-taking procedures, Bulgarian National Radio reported. Chances for obtaining a loan were not high, Ovcharov said.

Strategic investors would be offered participation in the project in the form of 49 per cent of the shares, Ovcharov said.

Ovcharov said investor interest was already high and at least two major companies requested majority ownership.

Recently the National Electric Company (NEC) and the committee responsible for evaluating the Belene project offers requested from the two major applicants, Russia's Atomstroyexport and Czech consortium Allianz, renegotiation of prices.

The two offers for the construction were too expensive, Ovcharov said. Project re-examination was possible if the two companies disagreed to review their offers, said Ovcharov.