The Cabinet proposed extending the state of emergency for another 60 days as from April 5. The decision on the necessity of prolonging the state of emergency was drafted based on reports presented to the Commission for Exceptional Situations by the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Justice, and the Security and Intelligence Service. The draft decision says the election of the Bashkan of Gagauzia set for this April will not be affected, IPN reports.

Minister of Internal Affairs Ana Revenco noted the persisting security risks associated with the war in Ukraine, including the violation of the national airspace, and the internal risks related to the hybrid war, attempts to destabilize the situation, disinformation and the blockage in the judicial system. She said that steps should be taken to prevent illegal financing of subversive measures against the state and appropriate instruments are needed to ensure the effect of the sanctions decisions taken by the U.S. last October.

According to the minister, a normative document that is being drafted stipulates a national mechanism for transposing particular categories of international sanctions according to the model of the Magnitsky laws of other states. Until this bill is finished and considered, the related mechanisms stipulated in the Commission for Exceptional Situations’ ordinances should be maintained.

As to the energy sector, Ana Revenco said the risks here persist due to the supply by Russia’s Gazprom of an amount of gas that continues to be by about 30% lower than the volume stipulated in the five-year contract between Moldovagaz and Gazprom and there is a risk that this contract will be unilaterally terminated due to the absence of the financial debt audit.

“We therefore consider the state of emergency should be extended nationwide for a period of 60 days as from April 5 so that the authorities of the Republic of Moldova could intervene promptly if decisions in addition to those stipulated by the existing legal framework are necessary,” said the minister.

The draft decision on the extension of the state of emergency will be presented in Parliament by Prime Minister Dorin Recean.

The state of emergency in Moldova was first declared on February 24, 2022 and was later prolonged for a number of times. The last relevant decision was adopted by Parliament at the beginning of this February.