KIEV, Jan. 18 - Ukraine reduced electricity exports 49.2% to 4 billion kilowatt hours in 2009, the Fuel and Energy Ministry told Interfax.

Electricity exports to Slovakia, Hungary and Romania fell a third to 2.579 billion kWh due to falling consumption and prices in Europe.

But exports to Moldova fell to just 6.9 million KWh in 2009 from 2.988 billion kWh in 2008 after the Moldovan authorities decided to use local electricity, generated by the Moldavskaya GRES power plant in Transdnestria.