Maia Sandu: Left bank must prepare for crisis; Government will act based on energy developments
The new government is set to begin its work in the middle of the cold season, facing significant challenges in preparing for winter and addressing potential energy crises. President Maia Sandu informed Rlive.md that state institutions have been working in recent months to ensure energy stability. However, the situation on the left bank of the Nistru remains uncertain.
The head of state emphasized that the most essential thing that is about to happen is the commissioning of the Chisinau–Vulcănești high-voltage line.
“I hope it will happen in the very near future. This will give us, by the end of this year, the certainty that there is no longer a risk that the Tiraspol regime will disconnect us from the electricity we buy from the European Union market,” the official declared.
Maia Sandu emphasized that the authorities have also worked to ensure natural gas reserves, but drew attention to the complicated situation in the Transnistrian region, where technical problems periodically arise in the delivery of gas from the Russian Federation.
"For the moment, as far as I understand, the problems are technical. We are not facing a definitive cessation of gas supplies to the Transnistrian region. However, we cannot know how long the Russian Federation will continue these supplies. The left bank must be ready for an emergency. There are some reserve resources, planned even during the January crisis, and the Government will act depending on the evolution of the situation," the president explained.
The head of state noted that the region's dependence on Russian gas remains a reality as long as the Russian Federation army is illegally stationed on the left bank of the Nistru.
"As long as the Russian Army is in the Transnistrian region, the constitutional authorities of the Republic of Moldova cannot do much. The big challenge is how we manage to withdraw the Russian army peacefully. If we were to solve this problem, reintegration would become possible," Sandu declared.
At the same time, the head of state specified that reintegration is an expensive process – both politically and financially. There are high costs, which the Republic of Moldova cannot cover alone in a short period of time, which is why the Government is in constant contact with international partners.
Regarding the requests of the leader from Tiraspol, Vadim Krasnoselski, to have a direct meeting with the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu specified that the dialogue with the authorities in the region is carried out through the already existing legal mechanisms.
"There are some clear, verified communication mechanisms, and communication continues and will continue through these channels. I do not see why these formats would change now", concluded Maia Sandu.
We remind you that, starting today, natural gas deliveries to the left bank of the Nistru, in the volumes contracted to cover the needs of all categories of consumers, have been resumed, according to the announcement of the interim president of the Moldovagaz company, Vadim Ceban. According to his Telegram message, the delivered volumes will enable the heating season to begin in the localities on the left bank of the Nistru and resume the hot water supply to consumers.
At the same time, after this week's Government meeting, the Minister of Energy, Dorin Junghietu, recalled the European support package, worth 60 million euros, which the Tiraspol administration previously rejected.
We recall that, after Gazprom stopped gas supplies to the Transnistrian region, in December 2024, the Republic of Moldova supplied approximately 2.6 million cubic meters of gas, purchased on international markets.
Chisinau proposed to Tiraspol to buy gas at market prices, also offering European support in this regard. Tiraspol refused, opting for a contract financed by the Russian Federation.
