Moldova began to import natural gas through the Iasi – Ungheni gas pipeline that was built with the financial assistance of the EU. Under the signed contract, Moldova in 2015 will import over 1 million cubic meters of gas from Romania, at the price of 1,010 Romanian lei (over 4,000 Moldovan lei) per 1,000 cubic meters of gas, IPN reports.

It should be noted that Moldova buys gas from Russia at the price of US$311 (about 5,600 lei) per 1,000 cubic meters of gas.

Deputy Minister of Economy Valeriu Triboi said the launch of the import of natural gas from Romania represents an important step in the process of implementing the Moldovan Government’s strategy for connecting the national system to the EU energy market so as to strengthen the state’s energy security.

“Surely, now that we have a gas pipeline only up to Ungheni and have a contract for the import of only 1 million cubic meters of gas, it is premature to speak about the diversification of the energy sources and the cutting of gas prices for end-users. But when the gas pipeline is brought to Chisinau, where there are about 60% of the gas users of the country, these objectives will become achievable,” said the deputy minister.

The contract for the sale-purchase of natural gas was signed by Moldova’s Energocom and Romania’s OMV Petrom Gas on December 22, 2014.

The construction of the Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline cost €26 million, €7 million of which were provided by the EU as a grant. The gas pipeline has a capacity of 1.5 billion cubic meters.