site.btaBulgaria and Moldova Sign Gas Transmission Agreement

Bulgaria and Moldova signed a cooperation agreement for access and transport of natural gas through the Bulgartransgaz gas transmission system. The document was signed by Vladimir Malinov, Executive Director of Bulgarian natural gas transmission operator Bulgartransgaz, and Victor Binzari, Director General of the Moldovan public natural gas supplier Energocom, in Chisinau on Thursday.

The agreement was signed after the meeting of Bulgarian President Rumen Radev with his Moldovan counterpart Maia Sandu. Radev is on a two-day visit to Moldova.

After his meeting with Sandu, Radev stressed that Bulgaria and Moldova can respond to the challenges they face by cooperating with each other. In Radev's words, Bulgaria has already achieved significant success in gas diversification, primarily by building interconnectors with its neighbours and shareholding in liquefied natural gas terminals.

"Now we can select suppliers from all over the world on the basis of price and security of supply. On the other hand, we have the Trans-Balkan pipeline, which provided natural gas from north to south, via Moldova, years ago. Now, through the reverse capabilities, we can supply gas from south to north," Radev emphasized.

The Bulgarian Head of State further said that electricity supply is also important for Moldova and understands President Sandu's concern about all energy issues.

For her part, Sandu said that energy resources are being used as a weapon against Moldova and its young democracy. She stressed that her country is in its worst energy crisis since its independence and welcomed the signing of the agreement for access and transportation of natural gas through the Bulgartransgaz gas transmission network. This is how, she said, Moldova connects its national gas transmission network with other networks in Central and Southeastern Europe.