Important decision: Moldova decided to introduce it state of emergency for a period of 60 days, starting on December 16, due to the cut off of Russian supplies gas from January 1. – This vote is to put an end to Russian blackmail – he appealed prime minister Dorin Recean.
Why was a state of emergency introduced? Moldova receives z Russia approximately 2 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Therefore, the Prime Minister feared that Russia's decision would lead to a “humanitarian crisis”. Declaring a state of emergency allows the government to react quickly and limit energy exports and, among other things, possibility of making purchasing additional energy from other sources without following standard procedures.
Key region: It is possible that Russian Gazprom will completely cease gas supplies to Moldova, and supplies from, for example, Ukraine are threatened by Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. Winter gas supplies to the country's inhabitants, including Transnistria, which does not recognize the central authorities, may be a problem. This is important because there is a power plant in Transnistria gas Russian which supplies most of the country's electricity. Transnistria declared its own state of economic emergency on Tuesday.
Resignations in the government: The Moldovan Prime Minister addressed the Minister of Energy and the heads of two energy companies, Fr resignation from positions. Minister of Energy Viktor Parlicov, together with the head of the Energocom concern, as well as one of the members of the Moldovagaz concern, are, according to the Prime Minister, responsible for the lack of purchases of natural gas in the period when it was possible and when prices were the most advantageous. Then they covered themselves with bureaucratic blockades, eh led to an energy crisis. Until a new minister is appointed, the energy sector will be managed by Prime Minister Dorin Recean himself.
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Sources: IAR, Reuters