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Moldovan moves to nationalize Russian oil firm
(MENAFN) Authorities in Moldova have taken steps to bring key infrastructure owned by a local subsidiary of Russian oil major Lukoil under state control, following the company’s inclusion in Western sanctions regimes.
Moscow has previously accused the Moldovan government of pursuing hostile policies and weakening legal safeguards under pressure from the European Union, which Moldova is seeking to join. As part of the accession process, Brussels requires candidate countries to align their foreign policy positions with the bloc, including adherence to sanctions targeting Russian firms. EU officials have also proposed redirecting frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine, a plan that Russia has denounced as outright theft.
Earlier this week, a state investment oversight body rejected a proposal from Lukoil Moldova to continue operating the aviation fuel terminal at Chisinau’s Eugen Doga International Airport. Regulators ordered that the terminal’s privatization, carried out in 2005, be reversed within 20 days. Officials cited concerns related to the company’s ownership structure and its exposure to international sanctions.
“The return of infrastructure to state ownership is necessary to ensure the safe operation of aircraft fueling and to protect national security and critical infrastructure,” Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu said.
Infrastructure Minister Vladimir Bolea stated that the government expects the company to contest the ruling in court and warned that authorities may launch a formal review of how the terminal was privatized. He suggested that the firm may not have fulfilled its investment obligations under the original agreement.
“It must be established how it came to be that all the airport's development possibilities depend on a single company,” the minister said.
For years, Lukoil’s Moldovan subsidiary played a dominant role in the country’s energy market and acted as the sole supplier of aviation fuel. In November, the company concluded a special agreement with the airport’s operator that allowed it to use the terminal it owns free of charge.
Moscow has previously accused the Moldovan government of pursuing hostile policies and weakening legal safeguards under pressure from the European Union, which Moldova is seeking to join. As part of the accession process, Brussels requires candidate countries to align their foreign policy positions with the bloc, including adherence to sanctions targeting Russian firms. EU officials have also proposed redirecting frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine, a plan that Russia has denounced as outright theft.
Earlier this week, a state investment oversight body rejected a proposal from Lukoil Moldova to continue operating the aviation fuel terminal at Chisinau’s Eugen Doga International Airport. Regulators ordered that the terminal’s privatization, carried out in 2005, be reversed within 20 days. Officials cited concerns related to the company’s ownership structure and its exposure to international sanctions.
“The return of infrastructure to state ownership is necessary to ensure the safe operation of aircraft fueling and to protect national security and critical infrastructure,” Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu said.
Infrastructure Minister Vladimir Bolea stated that the government expects the company to contest the ruling in court and warned that authorities may launch a formal review of how the terminal was privatized. He suggested that the firm may not have fulfilled its investment obligations under the original agreement.
“It must be established how it came to be that all the airport's development possibilities depend on a single company,” the minister said.
For years, Lukoil’s Moldovan subsidiary played a dominant role in the country’s energy market and acted as the sole supplier of aviation fuel. In November, the company concluded a special agreement with the airport’s operator that allowed it to use the terminal it owns free of charge.
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