Chisinau is in talks with Russian gas giant Gazprom to receive gas via the Turkish Stream pipeline, Moldova's Economic Minister Vadim Brynzan said.
"We are holding negotiations with Gazprom to get gas through the Turkish Stream pipeline," RIA Novosti cited him as saying.
Brynzan noted that Chisinau plans to initiate four-party talks between Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova to discuss technical and economic specifics of such deliveries.
According to the minister, the discussion will be organized by the European Commission which is to act as an intermediary.
Brynzan added that Vadim Cheban will be appointed new head of Moldovagaz in the next few days to continue negotiations with Gazprom on prolongation or renewal of the gas shipment agreement which expires on December 31.
A leading analyst of the National Energy Security Fund, a lecturer at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Igor Yushkov, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that Moldova may well expect to receive Russian gas through the Turkish Stream in the future. "It doesn't require any additional infrastructure. The pipe connecting Turkey and Moldova already exists - the Trans-Balkan pipeline. Actually, Turkey receives Russian gas through the Blue Stream, the coastal gas pipeline, and through the Trans-Balkan pipeline through Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria. As soon as the first line of the Turkish Stream is launched, transit through Ukraine will be closed and it can be launched in reverse to pump Russian gas from Turkey to Romania and Moldova," he said.
"The current leadership of Naftogaz declares that it will not sign any new contract for the transit of Russian gas. Of course, all Gazprom’s customers in Europe are worried about how they will receive enough gas, if Ukrainian transit ceases on January 1. For Moldova and Romania this is a particularly urgent issue," Igor Yushkov pointed out.
The expert also clarified that the approval of a new supply route would not take long. "There is no need to sign a new gas supply contract, it is enough to rewrite the clause on which border the gas will go to Moldova (replace the Moldovan-Ukrainian border with the Moldavian-Romanian border). It only requires an additional technical agreement to existing documents," the leading analyst of the National Energy Security Fund concluded.
