Moldova and Ukraine are looking for more energy security, amid the explosion in gas prices
The European Union promised additional support for Ukraine’s energy security at a summit on Tuesday, as well as the signing of several agreements aimed at strengthening ties with Kiev.
The EU is working with Ukrainian experiences to increase natural gas delivery capacity to the east, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Kiev.
Amid tensions with Moscow, Ukraine has not received direct gas supplies from Russia since 2015. Instead, natural gas was purchased through intermediary companies, most of which came from the EU’s Slovakia membrane.
Moldova, on the other hand, is in the process of negotiating a new agreement with Gazprom, the old one expired at the end of September, being extended by another month.
Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spinu said on Monday, on his return from St. Petersburg, where he met with a vice-president of the Russian state concern Gazprom, that the Republic of Moldova is preparing for both options, ie trying to reach a new long-term agreement with Gazprom, but also exploring “alternative ways of supplying gas ”From Russia, Romania, Ukraine and other EU countries.
Aura Săbăduș, ICIS market information service analyst (Independent Commodity Intelligence Cervices), declared on Tuesday for Europa Libera that the Romanian company Transgaz (which built the Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau pipeline) said that it is putting it into operation this month, but so far it has not been put into operation and it is not known when it will be put into operation ”.
The Chisinau government insists, on the other hand, that infrastructure it is no longer a problem for diversification of sources, the difficulties now being exclusively related to the availability of natural gas on the market.And the price.
In October, the Republic of Moldova pays over 790 dollars for a thousand meters covered. If it had accepted the old calculation formula from the contract with Gazprom, in the fourth quarter, the Republic of Moldova would pay $ 214 for one thousand covered meters, and in the first quarter of 2022 – $ 280 for one thousand covered meters , writes the portal Mold-Street.com.