Moldovan PM chairs meeting on preparations for starting construction of Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline

Chisinau, 29 June /MOLDPRES/ - The present stage of the fulfillment of the conditions provided for in the agreement on sales and purchase of the state enterprise Vestmoldtransgaz, needed for the launch of the construction of the gas pipeline Ungheni-Chisinau, today was analyzed at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Pavel Filip, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.   

Participating in the discussions were decision-makers from the Economics and Infrastructure Ministry, National Energy Regulatory Agency, Competition Council and other competent authorities. “We must not allow procrastinations. There are 13 suspensive conditions which should be fulfilled jointly by both sides and I want us to move quickly on each of them,” the PM stressed.    

According to the information unveiled, six conditions are presently fulfilled, another three ones will be regarded automatically carried out once the process is finished and the Moldovan and the Romanian sides are jointly working on the implementation of four of the conditions. The last four conditions refer to the submission by the enterprise of a notification to the Competition Council on the title to Vestmoldtransgaz and the economic concentration; issuance by the Moldovan authorities of the construction authorization; providing to the enterprise of the right to use the lands affected by the current gas pipeline and ensuring the carrying out without problems of the procedures of purchasing assets and the works within the project.  

The procedure of reorganization of Vestmoldtransgaz from state enterprise into an Ltd company started today.  

Pavel Filip demanded that the authorities in charge efficiently intervene to solve all impediments for fulfilling the conditions and the launch of the gas pipeline’s construction works on term.

The contract on privatization of the state enterprise Vestmoldtransgaz by the Romanian company Transgaz was signed on 28 March 2018, after the Moldovan Ltd company Eurotransgaz and the Romanian joint stock company Transgaz, as single associate, had been announced as winner of the tender on privatization of Vestmoldtransgaz.  

The Ltd company Eurotransgaz has confirmed intention to assume obligation of constructing the gas pipeline Ungheni-Chisinau in a term of up to two years and the commitment to invest up to 93 million euros to this end. The Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline will have a length of 120 km and will be able to annually carry 1.5 billion cubic metres of gas from Romania to Moldova.