Economic

Moldova weighs Ukraine gas imports as Kyiv eases export bans

Moldova has opened preliminary negotiations with Ukraine over potential natural gas purchases, but volumes and prices remain undecided, Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu said on Wednesday.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Junghietu clarified that discussions are in their infancy following Kyiv's decision to temporarily authorize domestic producers and traders to export roughly 15% of their gas reserves. He noted that final arrangements will be made public once bilateral terms are fully established with Ukrainian authorities.

Debunking import speculation

The minister dismissed media reports suggesting Moldova intends to purchase 500 million cubic meters from Ukraine as unfounded speculation. He pointed out that Moldova's total consumption for an entire gas year ranges between 700 and 800 million cubic meters.

State energy trader Energocom has already secured approximately 25 delivery contracts for the upcoming cold season. Any prospective contracts with Ukraine must align with those existing commitments, Junghietu added.

Securing underground storage

Addressing supply security, the minister emphasized that natural gas reserves remain heavily protected in deep underground sites.

“The gas is stored in underground facilities that are well secured, and the pipelines themselves are underground,” Junghietu said. “We also store 23 to 24 million cubic meters of our own strategic reserves there.”

Bilateral energy partnership

Ukrainian Ambassador to Chișinău Păun Rohovei confirmed that Ukraine holds a gas surplus and stands ready to resume commercial exports to Moldova.

“All the necessary conditions exist for dialogue and cooperation in this field,” Rohovei told public broadcaster TVR Moldova. “We belong to the same region, we are interconnected with European networks, and we must do everything possible to support each other.”

The ambassador underlined that Russia is no longer the sole energy supplier, urging the region to tap into viable alternative sources. Prime Minister Vasile Tofan is scheduled to travel to Kyiv in late October, where gas deliveries will feature prominently on the bilateral agenda.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

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