The formal start of activities to implement the Belene project was given in September 2008, eight months after Bulgaria's former Socialist-led coalition government concluded an agreement on it during then-Russian President Vladimir Putin's official visit to Sofia.
Formalni početak rada na sprovođenju projekta Belene odobren je u septembru 2008, osam meseci nakon što je bivša koaliciona vlada Bugarske, koju su vodili socijalisti, zaključila sporazum o tome tokom zvanične posete Sofiji tadašnjeg ruskog predsednika Vladimira Putina.