The war in Ukraine has turned Moldova into an important exporter of petroleum products, says economist Veaceslav Ioniță, of the IDIS Viitorul think-tank.

The Republic of Moldova used to export petroleum products before, but only in the order of 10-20 million dollars annually, or 2.5-5 million dollars quarterly. The war in Ukraine suddenly transformed our country into a regional player in the petroleum market. Moldova’s exports of petroleum products in a single quarter increased 50 times and reached 190 million dollars in the second quarter of 2022.

The annual value is 200 million dollars, which make petroleum products the fourth leading Moldovan export, estimates Veaceslav Ioniță.