PHOTO // Moldovan energy minister participates in Istanbul Natural Resources Summit

Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu has taken part in the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit (INRES). The event today was held under the theme, Energy and natural resources at the center of a changing world. The summit brought together ministers, high-level decision-makers, industry leaders, investors and international organizations for discussions on energy security, infrastructure resilience and regional cooperation in a geopolitically volatile context.

The summit was organized with the official support of Turkey’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and was honored by the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

At the event, Minister Dorin Junghietu had more bilateral meetings and discussions dedicated to strengthening energy cooperation between Moldova and regional partners, focusing on diversifying natural gas supply sources, developing energy infrastructure and attracting investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

In dialogue with Turkish partners, the Moldovan official emphasized the country’s interest in expanding cooperation with Turkish companies in the fields of natural gas, renewable energy, modernization of energy infrastructure and implementation of innovative technologies. At the same time, they addressed opportunities for collaboration on energy efficiency projects, district heating and the development of the energy market.

“Moldova continues to develop stable and pragmatic energy partnerships based on security, diversification of sources and investments in modern and green technologies, and Turkey is an important partner in strengthening regional cooperation. In this regard, our country is working together with regional partners, in order to capitalize on alternative supply routes and to ensure stable gas flows from non-Russian sources, including through the existing infrastructure in the region and the LNG terminals in the Aegean and Mediterranean areas,” Dorin Junghietu said during the discussions.

In Istanbul, the official held a meeting with Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar. The talks focused on strengthening cooperation on the supply of natural gas and oil products to Moldova through collaboration with the Turkish company BOTAŞ, expanding trade in oil products and developing energy infrastructure, consolidating the partnership on electricity projects and attracting Turkish companies to projects for the modernization and balancing of Moldova’s energy system, as well as cooperation in the field of innovative technologies.

Also, on the sidelines of the event, Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu had discussions with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Parviz Shahbazov. The sides discussed the development of cooperation between JSC Energocom and SOCAR, opportunities for diversifying the natural gas supply, as well as prospects for cooperation in energy infrastructure, oil stocks and strategic regional projects.

At the same time, Moldova reiterated its interest in the Green Energy Corridor project and in attracting Azerbaijani investment into energy projects developed in accordance with European Union standards, including in the fields of energy efficiency, modernization of district heating systems and innovative energy technologies.

During a meeting with the Bulgarian delegation, the parties discussed the possibility of trading natural gas and electricity on the Bulgarian market, as well as strengthening Moldova’s access to Bulgaria’s Virtual Trading Point (VTP), in order to get more competitive purchasing conditions.

Also, Minister Dorin Junghietu encouraged Bulgarian companies to participate in energy efficiency projects and in the modernization of district heating systems in Chisinau and Balti, as well as in testing innovative energy solutions through the regulatory Sandbox mechanism.