Chisinau hosts Moldovan-Romanian consultations on projects on interconnection in energy sector

Chisinau, 5 May /MOLDPRES/ - Moldovan-Romanian consultations on the carrying out of projects on inter-connection of electric energy and natural gas transport networks between Moldova and Romania are held in Chisinau, the Economics Ministry’s communications and public relations service has reported.

The today’s meeting is a continuation of the dialogue between Deputy Prime Minister, Economics Minister Octavian Calmic and his Romanian counterpart Mihai Tudose, held in Ploiesti on 28 April 2017. At the then meeting, the sides ruled to work out and enforce, till 15 May 2017, a joint plan on implementation of interconnection projects.   

“These two projects are not only of national, but also of regional importance and Moldova pays priority attention to their implementation. I am sure that, following the today’s consultations, experts of the two ministries, as well as of the specialty companies from the two states will elaborate a roadmap, due to allow us advancing in real terms in the carrying out of the projects,” Octavian Calmic said.     

For his part, a state secretary at the Romanian Economy Ministry, Petre Iulian Nicolescu, said that, after these consultations, more concrete goals were to be established for the activity of the working groups for both projects. “Today, we should set concrete objectives on each project separately, so that, in the end, both projects be carried out and be functional according to the terms established,” the Romanian official said.

The works on designing the gas pipeline are carried out according to the schedule, so that, on the segment on the territory of Romania, it will be presented in next August, and on the territory of Moldova, on the Ungheni – Chisinau segment, by late July 2017, the participants in the meeting said.

Octavian Calmic specified that, till late May, the Moldovan side would adopt the Law on declaring public viability of the gas pipeline Ungheni-Chisinau, which will allow issuing the certificate of urbanism for the construction of the pipeline. The deputy prime minister hopes that, in early 2019, the gas pipeline would be functional on all components on both sides.   

As for the interconnection of electric energy transport networks, there are some delays and experts should establish an exact roadmap, which would allow returning to the pre-established schedule. “We want to advance in terms of designing, as it is important, both for Moldova and other states of the region, that these interconnections be functional in 2020,” the economics minister added.     

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor A. Raileanu)