Dorin Junghietu: Azerbaijan played an important role in diversifying Moldova's gas sources

Azerbaijan has played a key role in diversifying Moldova's gas supply sources, Moldova's Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu said at the 31st Baku Energy Forum.

According to Report, he said Moldova has gone through one of the most severe energy crises in its history in recent years.

"The country was forced to take decisive steps to transition to access based on a European framework. This transformation was driven by necessity. Our experience shows that excessive dependence on a single energy source has a very negative impact on the economy, politics, and the country's future. Therefore, to respond to the severe energy crisis and security challenges, we had to act simultaneously in several directions," he said.

The minister added that one of the key measures was the synchronization of transmission system operators (TSOs) with the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), together with Ukraine, in the shortest possible time. This, he said, ensured access to more stable and diversified electricity sources.

He also noted that gas supply diversification was another major step, with Romania, Bulgaria, and Azerbaijan playing a decisive role in this transition.

"They provided significant assistance to Moldova in ensuring diversified access to reliable gas sources, which allowed us to overcome the crisis," he added.

He said Moldova has also recently liberalized its market, giving economic actors access to different sources.

Another key priority, he noted, is the expansion of renewable energy.

"We have made renewable energy a central part of our overall energy strategy and, in just four years, increased installed capacity twelvefold-from 77 megawatts to 1 gigawatt," he said.

Moldova is also developing energy storage systems and building additional interconnections with Romania and Ukraine to reduce imports during peak hours.