The Moldovan government has approved the introduction of a state of emergency in the energy sector. The decision was made at a meeting on December 11 and now requires parliamentary approval, writes NewsMaker.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the decision to impose a state of emergency in the energy sector due to the risk of a halt in Russian gas supplies.
Moldova receives gas from Russia under a contract valid until the end of October 2026. Since the autumn of 2022, Gazprom has reduced gas supplies to 5.7 million cubic meters per day, significantly less than Moldova's winter consumption. As a result, since the end of last year, all Russian gas has been sent to Transnistria, where it is used to generate electricity at the Moldavskaya GRES power plant and for household needs.
At the end of November, then-Minister of Energy Victor Parlicov met with Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller in St. Petersburg to discuss gas supplies to Moldova after the cessation of transit through Ukraine.
Following the visit to St. Petersburg, Parlicov held a press conference. He stated that Gazprom is ready to supply gas to Transnistria via an alternative route in the event of a transit halt through Ukraine. However, the Russian side indicated that this issue is linked to the repayment of Moldovagaz’s historical debt. Moldova acknowledges the results of an international audit, which determined the debt to be $8.6 million. The Russian side disagrees with the findings.
“Now they must present their perspective. I’m waiting for an official document,” Parlicov said.
The minister emphasized that the risk of a gas crisis on the left bank of the Dniester remains quite real.
