-- Moldova's parliament voted to lift the country's energy state of emergency from Saturday, ending a measure imposed after Russian strikes in neighboring Ukraine disrupted a key power line supplying most of the country's electricity, multiple media outlets reported on Friday.
Moldovan officials said Russian attacks in March knocked out the Isaccea-Vulcanesti transmission line, which carries electricity from Romania to Moldova via about 40 kilometers or 25 miles of Ukrainian territory and supplies up to 70% of the country's needs.
Lawmakers approved the move with 69 votes in the 101-seat chamber. The Moldovan Parliament did not immediately respond to' request for comment.
"The declaration of a state of emergency was not a whim. It was a carefully considered decision taken at a crucial, critical moment," Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu reportedly said.
He added that Moldova had faced two major risks at the time, pressure on the electricity grid and disruptions in the fuel market. The emergency measures helped the government avert a fuel shortage, he said.