Moldova's Prime Minister Iurie Leanca and his visiting Romanian counterpart Victor Ponta on Wednesday inaugurated the first natural gas pipeline that links Moldova to energy resources of the European Union (EU).
According to news reaching Bucharest from Moldova, the two prime ministers lit the inaugural torch on the Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline in Moldova's border town of Zagarancea, Ungheni rayon, together with European Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger.
"What is essential today is that for the first time in its history, Moldova no longer relies on just one supplier," said Ponta in his speech delivered at the opening of the gas pipeline.
Leanca and Oettinger pointed out in their speeches that this project takes Moldova one step further on the track of its EU integration and towards its energy independence.
The interconnector "Iasi-Ungheni" gas pipeline is 43.2 km long and has an annual transportation capacity of 1.5 billion cubic meters, covering about one third of Moldova's needs.
The first transit of natural gas from Romania will be undertaken on Sept. 1 and Romania will initially supply up to 50 million cubic meters per year.
The pipeline will reduce its reliance on Russia for energy supplies. Up until now, Moldova was fully dependent on imported natural gas from Russia.
The pipeline cost some 26 million euros (35 million U.S. dollars) and took one year to construct.
The two prime ministers mentioned at the ceremony that in two years a new pipeline of 130 km will be laid to connect Ungheni to Chisinau, the capital city of Moldova.
http://www.neurope.eu/article/moldovan-romanian-pms-inaugurate-gas-pipeline-linking-two-countries