Liberals suggest Moldo-Romanian gas pipeline should be built as alternative solution

The Liberal Party (PL) suggests work on a new gas main between Moldova and Romanian should be continued to offer Moldova alternative access to energy resources. PL president Mihai Ghimpu told a news conference on Tuesday that a pipeline crossing Iasi (Romania), Balti and Drochia (Romania) would be a good solution to avoid energy crises, Info-Prim Neo reports. “Romania is the only country which helps us and doesn't cause us crises, and which has repeatedly demonstrated its capacity to be there for us”, said Ghimpu. “The previous governments started the construction of this pipeline, but the project was abandoned”, explained the PL leader. According to him, the fact that Moldova refused to participate in the construction of the nuclear plant in Cernavoda, and consequently have a share in it, proves that “since the proclamation of independence, the Moldovan governments have done nothing but keep Moldova under Russia's sphere of influence”. Ghimpu declared that “if PL comes to power in 2009, we will elaborate a strategy for crisis situations concerning imports of natural gas and other energy resources”, without giving any details. According to Ghimpu, in the context of the energy crisis “the actions of the Communist government in ensuring the citizens of Moldova on both banks of the Nistru with natural gas have been delayed and ineffective”. When asked to name a date for the resumption of hot water supply to Chisinau homes, Nistor Grozavu, member of PL's standing bureau and also deputy mayor of Chisinau, told the same news conference that “hot water will start flowing as soon as CET1 and CET2 (Chisinau's main combined heat and power plants) shift back to gas, provided that the forecasts that we will have gas in full amounts within two or three days prove right”. Russia resumed gas supply to Europe through Ukraine Tuesday morning, but a couple of hours later it was reported that the gas flow remained weak, arousing concerns in Europe that the gas crisis may be far from being over.