EU provides Moldova €60mn to ease energy crisis
The European Commission is providing Moldova with €60mn ($70mn) to help ease the country's energy crisis, commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter on October 28. Politico reported that the funds would be a grant rather than a loan, citing a commission official.
Moldova declared a state of emergency over gas shortages on October 22, after Gazprom cut supplies at the start of the month under a new short-term supply contract. The government has approved emergency gas purchases and has ordered the release of fuel oil reserves to ease the crisis.
Ukraine and Poland have also stepped in to provide Moldova with support. Poland's state-owned gas company PGNiG won a tender on October 26 to deliver 1mn m3 of gas, at a market rate, while Ukrainian gas system operator GTSOU sent over 15mn m3 on October 27, according to Politico.
The current short-term supply contract between Gazprom and Moldova is due to expire at the end of this month. Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller held another round of talks with Moldova's deputy prime minister Andrei Spinu and other Moldovan officials on October 27 to strike a new deal.
The Financial Times cited sources on October 27 as saying Gazprom had offered a new contract with a lower price in exchange for Moldova adjusting its free trade deal with the EU and delaying energy market reforms agreed with Brussels.