
Moldova and Czech Republic have agreed to contribute to increasing technical capacities of transportation through the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline.
The agreement was reached by Moldovan State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy Constantin Borosan and Czech Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Rene Nedela, responsible for the energy sector, during a meeting in Prague on the margins of a meeting of the Moldovan-Czech intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation. It was emphasized that the Czech Republic backs Moldova's European energy path. Constantin Borosan thanked the Czech Republic for the contribution of 10 million Czech crowns ($430 thousand) to the Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund, established in early 2023, noting that this helped Moldova's citizens pay lower energy bills. The Czech Republic is also a financial sponsor of the E5P Fund, through which Moldova is implementing energy efficiency projects in Moldovan neighborhoods. The Czech Republic is also a model for financing energy efficiency projects based on the ESCO mechanism to be implemented by the Energy Efficiency Agency. Back in 2016, when the ESCO Moldova project was initiated jointly with the Energy Efficiency Fund, study tours were organized to study the relevant Czech experience. Constantin Borosan expressed interest in continuing this cooperation. The sides also discussed topics related to ensuring the energy security of Central and Eastern Europe by using the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, which proved its viability in the conditions of preparing for the winter and accumulating gas reserves in Ukraine. The Moldovan and Czech representatives agreed within the energy platforms in which our countries participate, such as the Central and Eastern Europe Regional Group within the EU Energy Platform and CESEC, to promote the increase of the technical capacity of transportation through the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline. As for electricity, the Moldovan state secretary of the Energy Ministry spoke about the current situation of electricity supply and plans for integration into the single European energy market. In the context of a joint request by Moldova and Ukraine to increase the commercial exchange potential with ENTSO-E, he enlisted the support of the Czech Republic in this endeavor. // 18.10.2023 - InfoMarket.