Romania will raise the issue of the gas crisis in Moldova and will ask the European Union for help in resolving it at the meeting of the EU foreign ministers, Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said on Monday
CHISINAU (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th October, 2021) Romania will raise the issue of the gas crisis in Moldova and will ask the European Union for help in resolving it at the meeting of the EU foreign ministers, Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said on Monday.
Moldova declared a state of alert in early October in preparation for a state of emergency over fuel shortages as the country's gas consumption exceeded supplies.
"I will also inform my colleagues about the gas supply crisis in Moldova, this is a critical moment for the government in Chisinau. I will ask my colleagues and EU institutions to provide expert and financial assistance to resolve this crisis in order to help Chisinau," Aurescu said upon arrival at today's ministerial meeting.
The current gas crisis could negatively affect the reform agenda that the new Moldovan government has planned, he added.
Last summer, Moldovagaz began negotiations with Russian gas giant Gazprom to conclude a three-year contract for the supply of natural gas, but the process is still in progress. Before October 1, Moldova purchased gas from Gazprom under an agreement signed back in 2008, which stipulates that the prices are formed depending on oil prices on world markets.
On October 1, Gazprom extended its standing contract with Moldova for gas supplies for a month as the prices jumped to $790 per 1,000 cubic meters. However, faced with shortages, Chisinau said it was considering purchasing extra gas from Romania and Ukraine.
