Hungary’s MET Gas and Energy Marketing will step in to supply gas to Moldova’s breakaway pro-Russian region of Transnistria, after the enclave rejected further European Union (EU) assistance. This decision comes after a crisis triggered by a halt in Russian gas flows earlier this year, which led to rolling blackouts and left the region with energy shortages.
The EU had previously provided €20 million ($21 million) to support gas purchases for Transnistria from February 1 to February 10. However, Transnistria rejected an additional €60 million of EU support due to conditions that included gradually raising consumer tariffs, according to Moldova’s Prime Minister Dorin Recean.
The enclave, which has depended on Russian gas for more than two decades, opted for an alternative arrangement. MET Gas and Energy Marketing will deliver gas to Moldova’s border, with Moldovagaz transporting it to Transnistria under an agreement with the region’s distributor, Tiraspoltransgaz. This supply is set to start on February 13.
In exchange, the Moldovan authorities will allow the gas transit while requiring the Transnistrian authorities to take actions signalling their willingness to cooperate, including releasing political prisoners and allowing Moldovan national television broadcasts, as stated by Prime Minister Recean.
Despite the move, the solution is expected to leave Transnistria in a state of ongoing uncertainty regarding its energy supply. Transnistria’s leader, Vadim Krasnoselsky, acknowledged that the Russian government’s loan and support were integral to the region securing this arrangement. However, the details surrounding the gas supply, payments, and the duration of the agreement remain unclear.
