Moldovan energy minister to pay official visit to United States: energy security, investments top agenda

Moldova’s Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu will pay a working visit to the United States on February 23-25, at an invitation by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. The Moldovan official will take part in the Transatlantic Gas Security Summit, scheduled for February 24, an event dedicated to energy cooperation between the United States and Europe.

The meeting will also be attended by Ditte Juul Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy at the European Commission. The discussions will focus on long-term prospects for the transatlantic energy relationship, reducing supply risks, financing energy projects, the role of liquefied natural gas (LNG), as well as the impact of new technologies and artificial intelligence on the energy sector.

In addition to participating in the summit, the minister’s agenda includes a string of meetings with officials from the U.S. administration, representatives of international financial institutions and partners from the energy industry. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation with the United States in the field of energy security and to attract investment in Moldova’s energy infrastructure, according to the Energy Ministry.

Dorin Junghietu will hold talks at the U.S. Department of the Treasury with representatives of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), including Sara Thannhauser, on international sanctions regimes and their impact on Moldova’s energy sector.

The Moldovan official will also meet representatives of the World Bank — Sajjad Shah, Director for Europe and Central Asia, and Eugene Rhuggenaath, Executive Director representing Moldova on the World Bank Group Board. The discussions will focus on financing strategic projects, including the construction of 55 MW combined heat and power plants in the municipality of Chisinau.

The agenda of the visit also includes the Straseni–Gutinas power line project, implemented within a strategic partnership with the United States. The minister will hold consultations with representatives of Black & Veatch, the company preparing the pre-feasibility study. The project is considered essential for strengthening the interconnection of Moldova’s power system with the European grid.

During the visit, Dorin Junghietu will also meet members of the U.S. Congress and officials from the Department of State; the sides will address the priorities of bilateral cooperation and U.S. support for reforms in Moldova’s energy sector.

At the same time, the minister will have discussions with representatives of the United States Energy Association and the Oil and Gas Association on developments in the regional and global natural gas markets and on Moldova’s role in initiatives to diversify supply sources.

An important topic will be the development of the Vertical Gas Corridor, a regional project meant to enhance energy security and reduce dependence on single energy sources.

The visit to the United States takes place in the context of the Moldovan authorities’ efforts to integrate the national energy system into the European market and to strengthen the country’s energy independence through investments, interconnections and strategic international partnerships.