Victor Parlikov on Reducing Gas Tariff: a Chance to Report Good News, but Let Us Not Rush

Moldova will intensify cooperation with Romania in energy sector. The main projects discussed and agreed between the parties relate to energy ties, as well as the implementation of new investment projects. According to deschide.md, the Minister of Energy Victor Parlicov said that during the last visit of Romanian Energy Minister Virgil Popescu, the parties agreed to restart the communication platform between the two ministries, as well as between enterprises on both banks of the Prut. “First of all, we are talking about projects related to energy interconnections, but these are not all projects, they are simply the most obvious and priority initiatives. Despite that, the Vulcanesti-Chisinau line is not an inter-grid line, but an interconnection, we still consider it as part of this process. We discuss many processes. This applies to interconnections, as well as new investment projects,” Victor Parlicov said. When asked to comment on the latest changes in natural gas prices on the international market and to say whether Moldova would resume buying gas from the Russian Gazprom corporate group, the Minister of Energy replied that there were real chances to buy gas cheaper than from Russia. “We have purchases in the European market. We will sell gas to Moldovagaz cheaper than from Gazprom. We will buy it cheaper and then market cheaper. Gazprom plays an important role for the Transnistrian region,” the Minister said. The Minister of Energy admitted that natural gas tariffs could be reduced, but noted that this procedure is within the competence of ANRE. “There is a chance to tell consumers good news, but let’s not rush,” Victor Parlicov said.