Moldovan authorities transfer Lukoil assets at Chisinau Airport to state ownership
CHISINAU. Jan 29 (Interfax) - The Moldovan Public Property Agency and Chisinau International Airport signed documents on Thursday with the company Lukoil-Moldova on handing over the fuel complex, the Moldovan Energy Ministry said.
"Thus, in accordance with the decision of the Council for the Examination of Investments of Strategic Importance for State Security dated December 15, 2025, the property owned by Lukoil on the premises of Chisinau Airport has been returned to the state," the ministry said.
Previously, the council banned Lukoil's activities in zones of strategic interest for state security with existing beneficiaries and founders and ordered a return to the situation that existed before the privatization of the airport fuel complex in 2005, it said. "Lukoil was required to transfer the assets by January 9 this year. Since the company did not comply with this requirement, on January 16 the council imp
osed a fine of 5 million lei, which was paid this week," it said.
According to the council's decision of January 16, Lukoil's activities in areas of strategic importance for state security were suspended, and the deadline for transferring the assets was set for January 28 this year.
After the imposition of international sanctions by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on November 12, 2025, an agreement for a gratuitous loan was concluded between the airport and the Lukoil company for the transfer of airport assets until the procedure for their acquisition was completed. The procedure for examining investments of Lukoil-Moldova was initiated in May 2024, before the application of international sanctions imposed by OFAC, the Energy Ministry said.
"Regarding the activities of filling stations on the country's territory, their acquisition will be handled by the U.S. investment fund Carlyle Group. In accordance with Moldovan legislation, the newly announced shareholder is required to request investment approval, and the Investment Council must present a decision on this matter," the ministry said.
On December 15 last year, the Moldovan Investment Council ordered Lukoil-Moldova to return the fuel infrastructure of Chisinau Airport to state ownership within 20 days. On January 14, state authorities received an official refusal from the company to sign the property handover act. The company cited the lack of approval from the sole founder, Lukoil International GmbH.
Moldovan Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu later said that the nationalization decision was a consequence of the company's failure to fulfill a number of demands put forward by the council back in May 2024, including the divestment of the airport fuel complex which was located in close proximity to Chisinau International Airport, changing the corporate structure to exclude entities under international sanctions, as well as the divestment of the fuel depot on Munchesti Street in Chisinau.
The official exchange rate on January 29 is 16.7 lei/$1.
