OREANDA-NEWS. On August 25, 2009 Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin paid a visit to Ungheni district, during which he attended a ceremony of putting into operation the Balti-Ungheni high-pressure pipeline, the presidential press service has said.

Voronin congratulated all participants in the construction project and its beneficiaries, pointing out the strategic importance of this facility. With a length of about 100 kilometres and a capacity of 550 million cubic meters of gas a year, the pipeline will allow connecting about 150 settlements from three Moldovan districts: Singerei, Falesti and Ungheni. The pipeline will unite the gas supply system from northern Moldova with the one from its central districts, which will secure the stable supply of gas to rural settlements. The putting into operation of this facility will give a significant impetus to the social and economic development of these settlements, Voronin said.

The president said that the construction of the Balti-Ungheni high-pressure gas supply pipeline is one of the final stages of the National programme of construction of gas pipelines which is to conclude by late 2010. Vladimir Voronin insisted on the utmost need to take sustained efforts to carry out this programme. In the context, he stressed the relations established with the gas operator Moldova-Gaz in the process of implementing the national programme by constructing gas pipelines inside settlements.

Voronin reiterated the high importance of the construction of gas supply pipelines for the modernization of regional infrastructure, for the boosting of social-economic processes throughout Moldova and for the enhancement of the living standards. The head of state expressed confidence that the national programme of construction of gas pipelines will be implemented in due time as this is one of the basic objectives set by the Moldovan authorities eight years ago.

The top leader also referred to another programme targeting the enhancement of people's life quality, the programme of supply of quality drinking water. Voronin specified that once the gas pipeline construction programme is completed, high attention will be paid to the supply of high-quality water.

At the end, Voronin pointed out the importance of the fact that the Balti-Ungheni high-pressure gas supply pipeline was opened in the run-up to the professional holiday of employees of the gas sector, marked on7 September. On this occasion, he congratulated the representatives of this sector, thanking all those who participated in the construction of the Balti-Ungheni gas pipeline.