The construction works on the Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline will be finished this December. The announcement was made in the event held to launch the works in Ungheni on August 27. It is planned that the gas from Romania will come to Moldova through the pipe from next April, IPN reports.
Prime Minister Iurie Leanca said that this gas pipeline will strengthen the country’s energy security and will increase the number of workplaces. “What we did over the last four years was not against somebody, but for the people. Today’s project is part of Moldova’s foreign policy priority – the European integration. This desideratum is known and accepted, including by those from the Kremlin. It is normal for every state to want to ensure the energy security so as to create competition. The road to the EU is long and complex. Today we are taking one more step towards joining two European banks,” said Iurie Leanca.
Attending the event, Romanian Premier Victor Ponta promised he will personally check things on the building site. “We are responsible and will not stop at this project. We must work together so that the people from both banks have a better life. By deeds it will be easier to explain to the people why they should tend to become part of the EU,” he stated.
Victor Ponta added that by 2018 Romania will have enough energy for own consumption, while Romania’s energy strategy includes Moldova too. “The greater the energy security, the better for the residents of these countries,” said the Romanian official.
European Commissioner for Energy Guenther Oettinger, who also took part in event, said that this project is of strategic importance for both of the countries. “This gas pipeline will increase the energy security of Moldova and the whole region. The integration into the European gas market does not stop at this project. At the second stage, the energy infrastructure will be modernized. This will enable to supply European gas to Chisinau. The integration into the European gas market will make this market more competitive and sustainable. The European Commission is ready to support financially different interconnection projects between Moldova and Romania. We refer not only to gas, but also to electric power. The EU will make sure that the allocated funds are used in the most efficient way possible,” he stated, adding that this project is an important instrument for ensuring Moldova’s integration into the European energy market.
The European Commission will provide €7 million of the total €28 million needed to build the gas pipeline that will satisfy up to one third of Moldova’s gas needs.
