Moldova's prime minister says neighboring Romania will export gas to his country this year, reducing the former Soviet republic's dependence on Russia for gas.
Iurie Leanca said: "We will have better tariffs. This means we will see diversity and energetic security." He attended an event Tuesday on the Romanian border with Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta.
Initially, the gas will be pumped to an area in southern Moldova by the end of August. There are plans to build a European Union-financed pipeline within three years to the Moldovan capital, where most consumers are located. Russia currently supplies all Moldova's gas.
Moldova is pursuing an agreement with the EU and would like to become a member in 2019. Moldovan citizens began traveling to most EU countries without a visa on Monday.