Ukraine and Moldova are preparing a joint document on further energy cooperation, focusing primarily on natural gas transportation through a shared gas corridor and the possibility of importing additional volumes of electricity.
Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Denys Shmyhal, announced the initiative on Telegram following a meeting with Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan during a working visit to Moldova.
"One of the key topics was preparation for the winter period. Ukraine and Moldova face common challenges in operating their electricity systems and ensuring natural gas supplies," Shmyhal said.
The two sides also coordinated joint measures to address the problematic situation on the Dniester River.
"Another important area is accelerating fuel transit through Moldova. This involves reducing queues of fuel tanker trucks at the border and ensuring prompt fuel deliveries to Ukraine," Shmyhal wrote.
The parties also discussed simplifying procedures at the Ukrainian-Moldovan border, including introducing joint controls at border crossing points and organising the necessary bilateral consultations.
During a separate meeting with Moldova's Minister of Energy, Dorin Junghietu, Shmyhal discussed securing additional electricity supplies.
"Together with our Moldovan colleagues, we are working to expand the transmission capacity of our interconnectors. This provides alternative routes for electricity transmission in emergency situations, which is particularly important given the constant Russian attacks," the First Deputy Prime Minister explained.
Meanwhile, according to the Moldovan government's press service, Prime Minister Vasile Tofan plans to visit Kyiv in late October for negotiations on natural gas and electricity supplies from Ukraine. The planned visit was discussed during his meeting with Shmyhal in Chișinău on Wednesday.
On October 12, Tofan said the Moldovan government would discuss the possibility of concluding a long-term natural gas supply contract with the Ukrainian leadership.
"Until now, there has been a moratorium on gas exports from Ukraine. An initiative to lift this moratorium was launched very recently. (...) The volumes available for export are not very large. I have heard figures of around 500 million cubic metres of gas, which is approximately what we will need for the gas year," he said.
The Moldovan prime minister expects Ukraine to offer Moldova a competitive gas price if the two countries conclude a long-term contract lasting three to five years.
