Chisinau is discussing with Kyiv the creation of reserve gas reserves in underground storage facilities on the territory of Ukraine, the Moldovan Ministry of Energy said.

"The Moldovan side has expressed interest in using underground gas storage facilities on the territory of Ukraine to form gas reserves," the ministry said in a statement following talks in Kyiv between Moldovan Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu and his Ukrainian counterpart Herman Haluschenko.

The talks also discussed the energy security of both countries, the development of alternative gas supply routes, electricity supply and the integration of energy markets. The parties stressed the need to coordinate cooperation with the European Union, the ministry said in the statement.

Possible areas of assistance to Ukraine for supplying electricity to Moldovan consumers from the European Union were also discussed. The parties stressed the importance of preserving the ENTSO-E limits for the possibility of importing electricity to Ukraine and Moldova from European countries.

Last year, the Moldovan authorities decided to create a strategic reserve of natural gas in the amount of 100 million cubic meters, but then the required reserve was reduced to 50 million cubic meters. The Ministry of Energy of Moldova explained this by the need to place the gas reserve on the commercial market.

At the end of 2024, the then Minister of Energy of Moldova, Victor Parlicov, said for the winter period, Moldovan energy companies pumped more than 200 million cubic meters of natural gas into storage. According to him, by decision of the government, 50 million cubic meters were pumped into the gas storage facilities of Ukraine and Romania. The same amount was also stored by the Energocom state gas transportation company in line with EU directives. The commercial reserves of Moldovagaz, stored in Ukraine, were estimated at 100-120 million cubic meters of gas.