Moldova opens Romania gas pipeline to ease dependence on Russia

(BUCHAREST) - Romania and Moldova on Wednesday unveiled a new pipeline allowing the former Soviet republic to import gas from Bucharest and reduce its dependence on Russian supplies.

"Thanks to this pipeline Moldova will no longer have to worry about being deprived of energy" by Russian giant Gazprom, currently its only supplier of gas, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta said.

His Moldovan counterpart Iurie Leanca said gas would begin to flow from September 1.

The 43-kilometre (27-mile) pipeline between Iasi in Romania and the Moldovian border town of Unghenit has a capacity of up to 2.0 billion cubic metres per year.

But Romania will start by supplying 50 million cubic metres a year.

Moldova's annual natural gas needs stand at around 2.2 billion cubic metres.

Romania, which produces some 11 billion cubic metres a year and imports an additional two to three billion from Russia, has seen its consumption drop by a third since the onset of the economic crisis, to around 12 billion cubic metres.