The solution and help in the gas crisis that Moldova is currently facing will come from Romania and the European Union, not from the Russian Federation, says Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureșan, co-chair of the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee.

Asked in an interview Free Europe, on what support can the Republic of Moldova rely from the EU in the context of the natural gas crisis it is facing, Siegfried Mureșan says that, just as Romania and the EU have helped our country so far, they are obliged to do so now .

“Yes. So, one at hand: just as Romania and the European Union helped Moldova at the beginning of the year in the COVID crisis, especially with vaccines, so we have the obligation to help now. The solution and help in the gas crisis will come from Romania and from the European Union, not from the Russian Federation “, Mureșan claims.

One of the solutions seen by the Romanian MEP is the delivery of gas through the Iași-Ungheni gas pipeline. “As much as possible, the maximum capacity that this pipeline can carry. We need to see exactly what the maximum capacity is and deliver everything we can through the same pipeline. ”, he says.

“We also need to increase our stocks and gas purchases. The price crisis and the energy crisis affect all the member countries of the European Union, it does not affect us in Romania either, we see the increase in the price of gas, electricity, fuel and bills for the citizen and it is a problem. The Romanian Government has also taken and will have to take further measures, but the Republic of Moldova is one hundred percent dependent on Russian gas and that is why we have our duty, Romania, if we help it, because we have other energy sources, we also have own sources of gas and we must use all the possibilities we have to help the Republic of Moldova – one and two at hand: to try to generate bilateral aid from other European Union member states that have gas capacities, which have gas stocks, quantities that for other European countries taken individually are not much, but all together, in total can be cheaper for the Republic of Moldova. So, Romania will help with everything it can, including on the gas side and together and that I will try to do next week in Brussels in relation to the European Union, together with mobilizing a certain amount of the level of other member countries, just for to help. And I am confident that just as the solution to the vaccine crisis came from the European level through Romania and Romania made it available, donated doses of vaccine, I am confident that we will be able to help in the same way, ”says Siegfried Mureșan.

An alert was issued in Moldova for the natural gas sector on Wednesday, October 13, so that responsible institutions can take concrete measures to protect the country’s citizens and energy security. The announcement was made by the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Andrei Spinu, after the meeting of the Commission for Exceptional Situations (CSE). Details here.

On September 30, the contract for transactions and supply of natural gas between “Moldovagaz” and “Gazprom” was extended for one month. Details here.

Moldovagaz representatives issued a press release on Friday, October 15, repeatedly asking consumers to reduce their daily gas consumption, in the context of the statements from the Commission for Exceptional Situations (CSE) of the Republic of Moldova on the market alert level natural gas.