The European Union prepares new macro-financial assistance for the Republic of Moldova, but the size of the grant and loan components is not yet known, said the European Parliament’s rapporteur for the Republic of Moldova Dragoș Tudorache. According to the official, Brussels will not abandon the Republic of Moldova this winter and will offer it financial support and expertise for overcoming the energy crisis, IPN reports.
Romanian MEP Dragoș Tudorache said the European Union is considering medium- and long-term solutions so as to help the Republic of Moldova diversify the natural gas supply sources and learn to efficiently manage such energy crises.
“The European Union will help the Republic of Moldova here. I refer to expertise that can help it learn to play on the free gas market. European experts already came into contact with counterparts from the Republic of Moldova to provide them with expertise so as to also find storage solutions. Any country that uses gas needs storage capacities so as to overcome such difficult periods as those experienced now by Moldova,” the MEP stated in the talk show “Emphasis on Today” on TVR Moldova channel.
The official also said that the allocation of funds is the short-term solution that the EU can offer to Moldova to purchase natural gas from the international market, until a consensus with Gazprom is reached, and to help the citizens cope with the higher bills.
“The negotiations on new macro-financial assistance are advanced and focus now on the grant and loan components as it is clear that these €60 million do not cover by far the Republic of Moldova’s needs to pass winter. In Romania, the political crisis that is now in full swing prevents the dialogue between the two governments from being based on very solid pillars, but the interim Government in Bucharest is committed and serious discussions to identify solutions were held. Romania also does not have many supplies, but should make effort to help the Republic of Moldova by using the gas pipeline that became fully functional,” stated Tudorache.
Recently, the European Union offered the Republic of Moldova €60 million in non-reimbursable financial assistance for managing the energy crisis.
