Sebastian Burduja: “Never, during my term in office, have I faced even the slightest pressure to purchase gas from the US or other countries”

Sebastian Burduja, the minister-designate for Energy in the Mureșan Cabinet, said Monday, after his hearing in the parliamentary committees, that he had never received pressure from the U.S. administration for Romania to buy gas from the United States or other countries.

“Never, during my term in office, did I face even the slightest pressure to purchase gas from the United States or other countries,” Burduja said when asked about any such requests.

The minister-designate explained that Romania’s support for the Vertical Gas Corridor does not entail an obligation to buy American gas. The project represents an alternative route to Russian gas and could turn Romania into a transit country and a regional energy hub.

Burduja emphasized that Romania is currently “the largest gas producer in the European Union” and will double its production next year. Under these circumstances, liquefied natural gas would generally be more expensive than gas transported through pipelines. He specified that no state-owned company, such as Romgaz or Transgaz, would buy gas at a higher price than that available on the domestic market.

The statements come after information published by the Wall Street Journal regarding alleged remarks by the U.S. ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, about changing the Romanian government.