Moldova sacks energy minister over failure to tackle crisis – Firstpost

Moldova’s President dismissed Energy Minister Victor Parlicov on Thursday, and Prime Minister Dorin Recean called for the resignation of two other senior energy officials for their failure to address the ongoing energy crisis in the country.

Recean also announced plans to request parliament to declare a state of emergency in the energy sector.

With Ukraine set to end its gas transit agreement with Russia on December 31, the prospect of disrupted Russian gas supplies to Eastern European nations, including Moldova, is growing.

Moldova’s breakaway Transdniestria region, which is backed by Moscow, relies heavily on Russian gas.

“The resignations are the first stage of correcting the crisis situation. I had full confidence in Minister Parlicov. But he did not ensure the purchase of gas,” Reuters quoted Recean as saying at a news briefing.

The presidential decree sacking Parlicov followed.

Parlicov said he knew his position was temporary and he was leading the ministry “as long as I was trusted”.

Recean also called for the resignation of state energy company Energocom head Victor Binzari and Moldovagaz supervisory board member Sergiu Tofilat for failing to buy and store enough volumes of gas at favourable price.

The government plans to ask parliament to impose a preventative state of emergency starting Dec. 16, he added.

“A state of energy emergency is necessary to manage the risks of energy supply disruptions, at least partially, and to allow the government to impose certain actions, including restricting energy exports,” Recean added citing uncertainty over gas supplies.

Moldova has received about 2 billion cubic metres of gas per year from Russia through Ukraine and since 2022, Transdniestria and Chisinau have agreed that all Russian gas received by Moldova will go to the breakaway region.

Transdniestria also has a large power plant fuelled by Russian gas and Chisinau, in turn, buys electricity from the region at a relatively low fixed price.

Recean urged state bodies responsible for energy to prepare for various scenarios, including cuts of power supply from the power plant in Transdniestria.

Moldova has previously said that cutting off supplies through Ukraine is a “very realistic” scenario, and that if Kyiv stops such transit, gas could be delivered via the TurkStream pipeline to Turkey and then via Bulgaria and Romania to Moldova.

With inputs from agencies