EC says ready to cooperate with Chisinau to solve the crisis

The European Union (EU) is ready to cooperate with the Moldovan government to solve the energy crisis in the republic and Transnistria. The European Commission (EC) told Izvestia on February 20.

"The EC is ready to work with the Moldovan government to resolve the energy crisis on both banks of the river [Dniester]," it said there.

Earlier, the European Commission announced that €60 million was being offered to Transnistrian residents as part of an energy independence strategy for Moldova, but already "under certain conditions."

Gas mask phase: energy crisis worsens in Transnistria

Chisinau blocks fuel supplies to the republic

On January 26, Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Oleg Serebryan said that in 10-15 days all gas and coal reserves in the DMR will run out and then the energy crisis in the unrecognized republic will reach a catastrophic level. Chisinau believes that a short-term solution to this situation could be the supply of Ukrainian coal and calls on Tiraspol to refuse Russian aid.

Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said on January 27 that Chisinau would transfer 3 million cubic meters of gas to Transnistria on loan. After that, it is planned to receive a €30 million grant from the European Union (EU) to purchase this type of fuel at an anti-crisis price.

Gas supplies from Russia to Moldova and Transnistria stopped on January 1 due to Ukraine's refusal to extend the agreement on transit through its territory and debts of the Moldovan side to Gazprom. In mid-January, it became known that Russia was ready to provide assistance to the DMR and start humanitarian gas supplies.