On the eve of winter, Moscow is increasingly using gas as an instrument of pressure in international politics. Another victim of this policy is Moldova, which had to declare a state of emergency in the face of a gas crisis as the government’s negotiations on a long-term gas contract with its traditional supplier, Russia, reached an impasse.
Chisinau decided to buy gas from Poland. The contract signed with PGNiG is the first gas supply in the history of Moldova from a source alternative to Russia. Against the backdrop of gas maneuvers, great politics and big money are at work.
“A contract for a trial purchase of one million cubic meters of natural gas has been signed between the state-owned company Energocom and the Polish company PGNiG. This is the first supply from alternative sources in the history of Moldova, ”the Moldovan government said in a statement. On October 26, a trial purchase was carried out with the aim of examining the possibility of importing gas from alternative sources and balancing the low pressure in the natural gas supply system.
Gas will be delivered through a reception point on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border. In the implementation of the contract, PST will cooperate with ERU Group, which is the leading partner of PGNiG in Ukraine.
In addition, Romania is ready to supply gas to Moldova via the Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau pipeline, which was launched only this month. This was confirmed on Monday by a representative of the Romanian Transgaz, the operator of the local gas transmission network.
