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After the traditional supplier Russia raised prices, Moldova sought cheaper natural gas from Europe.
The Moldovan Parliament has approved the state of emergency requested by the government until November 20, as it attempts to alleviate the shortage of natural gas amid soaring world energy prices.
The Ministry of Defense said on Friday that the eternal flame on a World War II monument in the capital Chisinau had been extinguished due to a shortage of natural gas.
This country with a population of 2.6 million is sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine and obtains natural gas from Russia through its pro-Russian separatist region Transnistria and Ukraine.
Sergiy Makogon, head of the Ukrainian national gas transmission operator GTSOU, told Reuters that the supply is “only enough to meet 67% of Moldova’s demand”.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba told the Moldovan Foreign Minister in Kiev that Ukraine will continue to send natural gas to Moldova. Moldova consumes 2.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually.
The Russian gas giant Gazprom has increased the price from US$550 per thousand cubic meters last month to US$790 this month-Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spinu said that this level “Unreasonable and unrealistic” for the poorest countries in Europe.
“We are facing a severe situation,” Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita said on Friday.
She told the parliament that Moldova will seek supplies from EU countries and thanked Romania and Ukraine for already supplying some natural gas.
Although Gazprom and its subsidiary Moldova Gas Company agreed last month to extend the existing supply contract to October 31, Gavrita said that Moldova Gas Company “has not kept its promise.”
She said that the company did not provide the required amount of natural gas, and Moldova’s natural gas supply in October was one-third less than usual.
The prime minister said that Moldova and Gazprom are continuing negotiations, but the former Soviet country has “no confidence” in the success of the negotiations and “must take action”, otherwise there will be “no natural gas.”
The month-long state of emergency enabled Moldovan utility company Energocom to obtain natural gas from other countries.
The country’s natural gas shortage comes at a time when natural gas prices are skyrocketing, and some in Europe blame it on Moscow’s failure to provide additional supplies to put pressure on the European continent.
Some experts say that Russia has raised prices due to pressure from Moldova’s election of a pro-European president in Mayasandu last year. The latter has stated that she hopes to reintegrate the separated Transnistria region into Moldova.
Former President Igor Dodon, who was defeated by Sandu, called the decision to extinguish the eternal flame “a shame” and accused the current authorities of trying to save money on “sacred value.”
The country has long been divided over establishing closer relations with the European Union or maintaining relations with Soviet-era Moscow masters.
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