Germany to provide Moldova with additional 37 mln euros in aid to overcome energy crisis

CHISINAU. April 3 (Interfax) - Germany will allocate another aid package of 37 million euros to Moldova to help overcome the consequences of the energy crisis, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during a visit to Chisinau.

"Moldova is on the path of reforms and is making significant progress, and Germany will continue to support the country in its efforts to integrate more closely with the European Union. In this regard, the German federal government has decided to allocate an additional 37 million euros to Moldova, in addition to the financial support already provided," Baerbock was quoted as saying by the state agency Moldpres.

"In the next two years, we will strengthen our support for Moldova's energy independence and its full integration into the European energy market both at the European and German levels," Baerbock said.

It was previously reported that Germany has allocated around 70 million euros to support Moldova's energy sector since the beginning of this year. In March, the Moldovan Energy Ministry signed an agreement with the German Development Bank KfW for a grant of 38.7 million euros to improve the energy efficiency of public buildings. In February, Germany announced a grant of 33 million euros to Chisinau, which will be used to fund the Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund to provide direct support to the population to overcome the energy crisis.

It was also previously reported that, in February, the EU announced a 250 million euro aid package to Moldova as part of a two-year strategy for the country's energy independence.

At the end of January, the EU provided 30 million euros in emergency aid to overcome the energy crisis due to the cessation of Russian gas supplies.

Electricity tariffs in Moldova have increased 1.7-fold since January 10. The rise is linked to the suspension of electricity supplies from the Moldavskaya GRES power station located in Transdniestria, which was caused by the halt in Russian gas deliveries to the region. As a result, Chisinau significantly increased imports of more expensive electricity from the EU, which now accounts for more than 70% of total electricity consumption.