EU to provide 64-mln-euro grant to Moldova to be partially spent on gas for Transdniestria

CHISINAU. Jan 31 (Interfax) - The Moldovan government and the European Union will sign an agreement on Friday to provide a 64-million-euro grant to Moldova for dealing with the energy crisis, the Moldovan government press service told Interfax, adding that the grant would come in two tranches.

The first tranche of 30 million euros will include 20 million euros the Moldovan Energocom state company will spend on gas for Transdniestria as emergency humanitarian aid.

"Gas purchased for the Dniester eastern bank will be used for heating houses in the region and fueling the Moldovan GRES [in Transdniestria] to ensure energy security in the region, including electricity transit between Romania, Moldova and Ukraine," the press service said.

The remaining 10 million euros will be used to purchase electricity for the Dniester western bank. Energocom will buy electricity on the market.

The second tranche of 34 million rubles will support Moldova's budget. Its details will be revealed later.

Experts from both sides of the Dniester are discussing legal solutions to provide Transdniestria with electricity and gas, the press service said.

The European Commission said initially that it would give a 30-million-euro grant to Moldova for settling the energy crisis. Later on, the Moldovan government and the EU made updated proposals, which included the supply of 3 million cubic meters of gas to Transdniestria and a 30-million-euro grant for power generation by the Moldovan GRES, including for the Dniester western bank.