The Republic of Moldova’s integration plans projected in the high-level political and security dialogue with the European Union and the processes of reintegrating the districts from the left side of the Nistru are parallel processes. There are common subjects or tangency points between them, such as the energy security, but there is also a distinct difference in the relationship with the EU, PAS MP Adrian Băluțel stated in a debate hosted by IPN.
According to the MP, after the high-level political and security dialogue between Moldova and the European Union was launched and the application for EU membership was submitted, Moldova was connected to the European electricity grids and can now purchase gas through the European platform and this is remarkable. The speed at which things happen shows that Moldova’s integration effort is taken seriously and possibilities of having discussions on concrete themes appear.
Adrian Băluțel noted that the decision to create the EU platform for the purchase of energy resources place the subject in the purely economic area, freeing it from political influence. The negotiations will focus on the amount and price for obtaining a lower purchase price and will be free from political conditions, concessions or favors. This platform is primarily beneficial to small countries that do not have a great negotiation capacity.
As to the supposition that a monopolist can be substituted with another one, the MP said he does not think that this will happen, including with regard to the associated countries, because the gas procurement policy of the EU member states is not regulated by the policies of the European Commission and they have a particular maneuvering space.
Unlike his panel mate, expert Sergiu Tofilat, politician Adrian Băluțel considers the current energy evolutions should not be used in the Transnistrian settlement process. “My opinion is that the energy security issue and the Transnistrian settlement should not be interconnected because the Republic of Moldova for a long period of time has been blackmailed in terms of energy and using the energy security and energy issue in the Transnistrian settlement process would mean that the Republic of Moldova uses the same instrument... I don’t think this is appropriate. For sustainable resolution, the Transnistrian conflict should be solved at the negotiating table by diplomatic ways,” said the MP.
The public debate titled “The Republic of Moldova will buy gas through the European Union: What does this mean and what effects should we expect?”, was the 232nd installment of IPN’s project “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
