Energy Minister Vitor Parlicov had a bilateral meeting with Iceland's Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson at the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Iceland is the fifth northern European country with which Minister Parlicov has held talks in recent weeks on stepping up cooperation on energy and climate.

Victor Parlicov emphasized Moldova's interest in expanding cooperation with Iceland, including in the field of geothermal energy and heat storage in Moldova. According to him, the Ministry is looking for resources and partners for the elaboration of a study of the geothermal potential in the country, as a result of which policies will be developed and the necessary investments for the development of the sector will be identified. Geothermal energy could be used for heating both in individual residential houses and in the centralized heating system.

Previously, the Republic of Moldova has developed 22 Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions, known as NAMAs, one of which refers to investments in geothermal energy. Thus, according to the NAMA, by 2030 Moldova would install more than 13 thousand heat pumps, which would generate 484 TWh of thermal energy annually. According to the Law on the Energy Performance of Buildings, the possibility of using heat pumps will be examined when designing new buildings and before obtaining the building permit.

During the discussion with the Icelandic Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, the signing of a memorandum of cooperation on energy was also discussed, as well as the need to ensure an Icelandic diplomatic presence in the Republic of Moldova. After the closure of the Embassy in Moscow, Iceland is the only Nordic country without representation in Chisinau or Bucharest, including for energy cooperation.