ENERGY MINISTER SUMMARIZES VISIT TO U.S.: MOLDOVA HAS CHANCES TO BECOME PART OF EUROPEAN ENERGY MARKET BY 2029

“Moldova has chances to become a part of the European energy market until 2029,” the Energy Minister Victor Parlicov stated this at a briefing on Friday, dedicated to his recent visits to the USA and UAE.

The Minister said about the meetings at the US Department of Energy, the State Department, USAID. Parlicov informed that he told the U.S. partners about Moldova's recent progress in the energy sector: about diversification, about the fact that "Moldova can no longer be blackmailed, it has become more flexible and can provide itself with both electricity and gas from different sources."

"We are in a much better situation in terms of energy security (than before - "I.")," Parlicov emphasized, adding that he "thanked the American people for the unprecedented 300 million dollars aid," of which 80 million dollars has already been used to pay compensations and 220 million dollars will be invested in critical infrastructure so that "Moldova becomes part of the European energy market."

The minister also stressed that on April 30, he will sign a memorandum with USAID so that part of this 220 million will be used to finance the third transmission line linking Moldova and Romania.

"All this is being done so that by 2029 - before joining the European Union, we become part of the EU single market. We have all the opportunities and chances," he noted.

Parlicov also held meetings with representatives of international financial institutions - Bank of America and others. He said that he discussed proposals that will allow raising Moldova's credit rating and getting access to new financial instruments.

The minister spoke about the meetings with companies operating on the LNG market, telling them about the possibilities of the Greece-Bulgaria-Hungary-Romania-Moldova vertical corridor, which can serve as a substitute for the gas of Gazprom, taking into account the potential of the gas storages in Ukraine. The Minister also discussed the financing of green energy projects in Moldova.