The authorities of the Republic of Moldova will have to review the national energy security strategy that was adopted until 2030 now that the country will be able to purchase gas through the EU’s joint platform, expert Igor Boțan stated in a public debate staged by IPN.
According to the standing expert of IPN’s project, the EU is solidary with Moldova and this is evident. “The EU and the Republic of Moldova do not want to be victims of the blackmail of the Russian Federation that 20 years ago proclaimed itself an energy superpower. Given its quota on the EU’s market, half a year ago Russia started to insist on long-term contracts for supplying gas through the pipelines it built, bypassing Ukraine, and for using that instrument in its political, strategic, war games, “ stated Igor Boțan.
He noted the EU’s decision to create such a platform is correct. It is not yet known if this policy will destabilize the prices and to what extent and if Moldova will benefit from such policies in the short run. But Moldova needs to adopt a cardinal decision if it does not want to be blackmailed.
“The joint statement of the European Commission and the U.S. lays emphasis on strategic cooperation with the United States under this framework for ensuring the energy security of the European Union for further developing the infrastructure of these terminals for receiving liquefied natural gas that will come from different sources, including the United States. We see that we have tectonic shifts in terms of security on the European continent, including in the field of energy security. The EU does not yet want to be blackmailed by the Russian Federation,” stated the expert.
Igor Boțan noted the Moldovan authorities support the initiative concerning the joint platform for the purchase of gas and it is interesting to see how the opposition will act. He considers the opposition should make common cause with the government and should plead for ensuring the country’s energy security.
According to the expert, this new platform can influence the geopolitical options of Moldovan society. “Things are interconnected and the political decisions adopted by the European Union were taken in the context of the military aggression against Ukraine. There will be political speculations and the skillfulness of the sides will model the behavior of people. It is very important for the government to have solid arguments and to explain what is going on and why. I’m sure there are many obstacles that the European Union and also the Republic of Moldova will have to overcome. We should accept this offer made by the European Union as we also do not want to be blackmailed. If we accept to be blackmailed, the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova will be worth nothing,” concluded Igor Boțan.
The European Council on March 25 announced new measures aimed at reducing European dependence on Russian energy, including a common procurement platform that will be open also to the Western Balkans and to the three associated EaP partners, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia.
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.
