The European Union stands ready to support Moldova to find a way out of the current gas crisis and a first step towards this is the €60 million in non-reimbursable budget support announced Wednesday. According to UE’s top diplomat Josep Borrell, this will enable the Moldovan government to set up a scheme to support the most vulnerable people affected by this crisis ahead of the winter. This was stated during a joint press conference with Moldova’s Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița following the sixth Moldova-EU Association Council meeting in Brussels.
“We see attempts by Gazprom to put political pressure in return for lower gas prices and we agreed with Prime Minister (Gavrilița) on the need to strengthen resilience against any potential attempts by third parties to use energy as a political weapon”, stated Borrell.
Taking questions from reporters, Borrell admitted the €60 million was not going to solve the problem, but it was a first step that would be “of much help” in starting setting up a system to protect the more vulnerable consumers. Funding the difference between the current prices and those asked by Gazprom is not going to be a solution from the EU, according to Borrell, but there are other solutions, like diversifying Moldova’s energy mix, “and (for) that we can provide resources and expertise”.
Moving on, the European official stressed the importance of the justice reform carried out by Chisinau and welcomed the first steps already made. “Here quality is more important than speed and it is always recommended to seek expertise from local as well as recognized international partners in order to re-build trust in the justice system”.
On the Transnistrian issue, Josep Borrell reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to facilitate a comprehensive, peaceful and sustainable settlement process based on respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic Moldova within its internationally recognized borders and with a special status for Transnistria.
For her part, Natalia Gavrilița said that the direct budget support and macro-financial assistance provided by the European Union help Moldova maintain financial stability. The €60 million grant is an additional amount to the economic recovery plan, which will be used to compensate citizens for rising gas prices.
Moldova is interested in signing a long-term gas supply contract at a price it can afford, said Gavrilița, adding that she expected the Russian side to have an “economic, pragmatic” approach to the negotiations. The talks held in St. Petersburg see some progress, but at the same time, long-term alternatives are also being sought.
On the Transnistrian settlement process, Gavrilița said she appreciates the EU's position on this issue, and Moldova will continue to work with European partners on the available platforms, such as bilateral dialogue and the 5 + 2 format to move forward in this process.
Natalia Gavrilița invited Josep Borrell to visit Moldova together with his colleagues to continue discussions on the joint agenda.
