Growing gas prices make Moldova, its population vulnerable - President Sandu

CHISINAU. Aug 30 (Interfax) - The Moldovan opposition has been using the energy situation to destabilize Moldova amid growing energy prices and the inability of people to pay their gas bills, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said at a strategic forum in Bled Slovenia.

"We are heavily dependent on imports of gas and electricity. There is no doubt that Moldova has learned its lesson and we are trying to diversify our sources, yet it is not easy to do this fast, especially as market prices are so high," the presidential press service quoted Sandu as saying.

The energy security projects implemented by Chisinau will bring results in a few years, Sandu said. "For now, everything is extremely difficult, and these difficulties make Moldova vulnerable. Pro-Russian political forces are using the difficult energy situation to destabilize the country," she said.

Sandu spoke in favor of an EU platform for the collective procurements of natural gas. "This platform has yet to be launched. This is about [gas] prices, because Moldova is paying ten times more than it did 18 months ago. Imagine the impact it is having on the population, as Moldova is a poor country and energy accounts for a large part of people's budget. Higher energy prices have dramatic consequences, and no matter how much the government wants to support the population it is unable to compensate for all of these hikes," Sandu said.

"It is very important to us to keep peace in Moldova and to guarantee a certain level of energy security to our citizens. That will help maintain stability in the country, which is important to both us and our neighbors, Ukraine and Romania," she said.