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Ponta: Shale gas exploitation ensures Romania's energy independence
Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Friday said that the exploitation of shale gas in Romania was the result of a political decision meant to ensure the energy independence of the country.
'It is a political decision, that not only Romania made, but also Poland and Lithuania, if I remember correctly, because for us is no longer only a strictly economic issue. (...), it is an energy independence issue, namely related to not being forced to import gas. (...) We can be independent. We want to be independent and, more than that, within our energy strategy we constantly have our attention directed towards the Republic of Moldova, because we hope that, in a few years, we can have the necessary energy resources both for Romania and for the Republic of Moldova,' Ponta said.
Referring to the protests against Chevron Company's beginning the exploitation at Pungesti, Victor Ponta said that 'up to a point it is legit for the population of this area to ask questions, but it is important that, at least in the following five years, the explorations will not be conducted through the fracking method; it is about a conventional exploitation. And then, if we have the certainty of the deposits existence, we shall be careful to adopt the highest standards of environmental protection.'