Moldova sources gas either from Ukraine or Romania.
(Photo: Reuters)
Chisinau In the midst of a serious gas supply crisis, the Republic of Moldova, which borders Romania, declared a month-long state of emergency. The Moldpres news agency reported that 55 of a total of 101 MPs had voted in parliament on Friday for a corresponding proposal by the government. “In the area of gas supply, a critical situation has developed in our country,” said Moldova’s Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita.
The gas demand of the economically weak ex-Soviet republic for October was only 67 percent covered. In this situation, Gavrilita explained that her country would be forced to obtain natural gas from other sources – the state of emergency was the condition for such action. Moldova sources gas either from Ukraine or Romania.
A contract between Moldova and the Russian energy giant Gazprom, which should have expired at the end of September, was recently extended by a month. Negotiations with Gazprom continued, said Gavrilita. The uncertainty made the situation in Moldova even more tense.