SOFIA, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's only oil refinery LUKOIL Neftochim Burgas may have to shut down if the government doesn't follow through on plans to allow the Russian-backed business to continue exporting, chief executive Ilshat Sharafutdinov said on Monday.

The European Union has agreed a ban on Russian crude oil imports as part of its sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. The ban takes effect next month, but Bulgaria has been given an exemption and is allowed to import Russian crude until the end of 2024.

The Bulgarian caretaker government plans to allow the LUKOIL Neftochim refinery to continue importing Russian crude once the ban takes effect and also give it a permission to export its production. The previous government wanted to limit sales of refinery's fuels to just the Bulgarian market.

Sharafutdinov said the refinery was likely to process about 7.1 million tonnes of crude oil this year. He said the refinery exports about 50% of its final products. (Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova Editing by Mark Potter)