据埃里克·拉佩罗齐和安东尼·斯瓜津报道，随着马达加斯加与俄罗斯的关系不断加深，该国政府允许本国的电力与水务公司跳过常规招标程序，直接从一家俄罗斯企业采购柴油发电机。
Madagascar’s government gave the country’s power and water utility permission to flout usual tender procedures and buy diesel generators directly from a Russian company as ties between the island and Moscow grow.
10月6日颁布的政府法令准许名为Jirama的这家公用事业公司直接从一家名为Malmekhservice的俄罗斯企业购买18台发电机。不过，马达加斯加能源部在相关声明中并未透露此次交易的金额及发电机的具体规格。
The government decree, adopted Oct. 6, allows the utility known as Jirama to buy 18 generators directly from a company it identifies as Russia’s Malmekhservice. In a statement, the energy ministry gave no details of the value of the transaction or the size of the generators.
自去年10月马达加斯加发生政变以来，俄罗斯一直致力于深化与该国的关系，不仅向马达加斯加捐赠军事装备，还派兵协助保护新任总统米歇尔·兰德里亚尼里纳。
Russia has sought to strengthen relations with Madagascar since a coup on the island in October last year, donating military equipment to the company and soldiers to protect the new president, Michael Randrianirina.
目前，俄马两国正就在该岛建设燃料储存设施展开磋商，俄罗斯还已在当地设立了文化中心。兰德里亚尼里纳也打破惯例，在首次出访时就与俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京会面，而未选择前往马达加斯加的前宗主国法国。
Russia and Madagascar have held talks about building fuel-storage facilities on the island, while Moscow has established a cultural center there. Randrianirina also broke with tradition, meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on his first official overseas trip, rather than traveling to former colonial power France.
多年来，马达加斯加一直饱受电力短缺困扰，这一问题也是引发民众抗议并最终导致政变的重要诱因。为保障电力供应，新政府废除了此前实施了25年的相关规定——即允许私营企业从中国进口燃料并直接向Jirama供应柴油。不过目前Jirama发电的成本依然高于售电收入。
Power shortages have plagued Madagascar for years, and they were among triggers for popular protests that led to the coup. The new government has acted to secure fuel supplies for its utility by ending a 25-year arrangement where private companies imported fuel and bought diesel for Jirama directly from China. Still, Jirama is paying more to produce electricity than it can sell it for.