Moldova did not steal natural gas, Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanyi

“The Republic of Moldova did not steal natural gas as some Ukrainian officials say. On the contrary, we fulfill all the contractual obligations and must not suffer as a result of misunderstandings between the Russian and Ukrainian authorities,” Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanyi said at the meeting of the National Commission for Emergencies held on Wednesday, January 7, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. According to a communiqué from the Government’s press service, the meeting was called to examine the situation created after Ukraine stopped the natural gas supplies to Moldova on Wednesday morning. In this connection, the Premier called on the domestic and corporate consumers to continue saving the energy resources as the talks between Ukraine and Russia scheduled for January 8 could produce no immediate solutions. “The situation is not simple, but is under control,” Zinaida Greceanyi said. At the meeting, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Trade Igor Dodon said that the natural gas reserves for northern Moldova would be enough for 48 hours. The Ananiev-Cernauti-Pogoroceni pipeline supplies gas to the north of Moldova, including the region of Rabnita town, the municipality of Chisinau and Moghilev-Podolsk region in Ukraine. In Causeni district, the natural gas stores will be sufficient for two days, while in southern Moldova – the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, the districts from Cahul to Hancesti – for seven days. In order to save the natural gas reserves, the Chisinau thermoelectric plant CET-2 started to work only on crude oil, CET-1 is shifting to crude oil, while CET-Nord in Balti was to be provided with 1,000 tonnes of crude oil on Wednesday. The Chisinau heat supplier SA Termocom is also looking for crude oil. All the thermoelectric plants started to reduce the temperature of the supplied heat down to 65 degrees Celsius. The hot water supply will not be reduced for the time being. Igor Dodon informed that there is no shortage of electric power. All the necessities are covered through internal generation means. Four generation units work at the Cuchurgan power plant. Three of them work on coal. One more generation unit was to start working by Thursday. The Commission will come together for a new meeting on Thursday, at 14.00. The situation of the social, medical and education institutions will be also considered.