Bulgaria pledges gas assistance to Moldova if Russia cuts supply
Bulgaria is prepared to assist the Republic of Moldova if Russia halts its gas supply on January 1, announced Bulgarian Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov on Monday, in an interview with Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).
He recalled that a month ago, the two countries signed a document outlining their response to the crisis.
"We maintain constant communication with Moldova's Minister of Energy, so they are also relying on us. We are ready to assist by providing access to liquefied natural gas, as well as through the public supplier Bulgargas, when they request assistance," said Malinov.
He explained that Gazprombank had been added to the U.S. sanctions list due to the war Russia initiated against Ukraine, but a waiver for payments related to gas transit via the Turkish Stream through Bulgaria remains valid until March 20, 2025.
The Russian company Gazprom announced that it would pump a reduced volume of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday, the final day before the expiration of the transit agreement that has kept the gas flowing throughout nearly three years of war, Reuters reports.
Gazprom stated that it would send only 37.2 million cubic meters on Tuesday, compared to 42.4 million cubic meters on Monday. The gas flow is expected to fall to zero from the early hours of January 1, after the expiration of the five-year transit agreement.
Its expiration marks the near-total loss of Moscow's control over the European natural gas market, as Ukraine has refused to negotiate a new agreement because of the war.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
