Wiadomość została wysłana.
The statement came in response to claims by the Russian embassy in Chișinău that laid the blame of the crisis at the feet of Moldova, Ukraine and the West in general.
The authorities in Transnistria, which broke away from Moldova in 1991 but remains an unrecognized state, have been struggling to cope with a severe gas shortage after the Russian energy company Gazprom turned off supplies at the start of the year.
Gazprom has claimed it switched off the gas because Moldova had failed to pay its bill, while the government in Chișinău has said the Kremlin initiated the cut in an attempt to destabilize the country.
The cut-off has led to the closure of all industrial facilities in Transnistria apart from those involved in food production, the suspension of heat and hot water supplies, and power cuts of up to eight hours a day.
In its statement, the Foreign Ministry said: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova strongly refutes the dangerous disinformation spread by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Moldova, which seeks to deflect responsibility for a crisis that Moscow itself has created.
“Let it be very clear: the responsibility for gas deliveries to the Transnistrian region rests entirely with the Russian Federation and Gazprom, which have chosen not to honor their contractual obligations and have failed to provide viable solutions for ensuring continuity of gas supplies,” it added.
Earlier the Russian embassy had accused Moldova and Ukraine, which terminated a transit deal that took Russian gas westwards, and the West of “artificially” creating a problem that had condemned the Transnistrian people to suffering.
There are fears that the crisis could spill over into Moldova, which is still reliant on significant electricity supplies from Transnistria. So far, the Moldovan authorities have said they have secured enough energy supplies but have also asked people to conserve electricity.
Russian-speaking, Transnistria has long been regarded as an island of Russian influence in the region and plays host to 1,500 Russian troops owing to the unresolved dispute between Moldova and the region.
Transnistria’s status and the presence of Russian troops have been a thorn in the side of Moldova’s European ambitions.
Later this week, the European Union will host talks with representatives of the Moldovan government and convene a working group on the issue of Transnistria’s energy crisis and the potential reintegration of the region, whose independence claim has been rocked by the energy crisis.
A delegation from Tiraspol has not been invited.
“As we understand it, the Government of Moldova has already offered electricity as well as humanitarian aid to Transnistria, which has so far not been accepted,” said Anitta Hipper, the Commission’s spokesperson for foreign affairs.
She added: “We urge Tiraspol to cooperate with Chișinău to resolve the situation in the interests of the local population.”
