Germany to provide 33 mln euros to Moldova for subsidizing household power tariffs

CHISINAU. Feb 28 (Interfax) - Germany will give a 33-million-euro grant to Moldova for the Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund and direct support for the population amid the energy crisis, German Ambassador to Moldova Margret Uebber said.

"Our contribution aims to provide affordable power for disadvantaged families and households and to send a clear message of Germany's long-term support for the people of Moldova," the Moldpress state-run news agency quoted Uebber as saying.

Germany gave Moldova a grant for subsidizing power tariffs in the 2022-2023 winter season, she said.

The grant for 2025 was given in response to Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean's call on German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz for assistance.

The new German grant supplements the support package recently announced by the European Union, the news agency said.

Recean said on February 4 that the Moldovan authorities had assigned 186 million euros from the EU's 250-million-euro assistance package, provided as part of the two-year energy independence strategy for Moldova, on subsidizing power tariffs.

In late January, the EU disbursed 30 million euros as emergency assistance in combating the energy crisis caused by the stopped Russian gas supply. This includes 20 million euros spent on buying gas for Transdniestria and 10 million euros spent on buying electricity for Moldova.

Power tariffs grew 1.7 times in Moldova on January 10. The growth derives from the terminated power supply by the Moldovan GRES in Transdniestria after the end of Russian gas supply to the region.