Gazprom: in case of non-payment of debts, we will stop pumping gas to Moldova in 48 hours to continue gas supplies to the country. This was announced by the representative of the concern, Sergei Kupriyanov, RIA Novosti reports.
Bearing in mind the difficult, very difficult situation in the economic and financial situation of Moldova, guided by the desire to preserve for Moldova the possibility of paying off its debt obligations with respect to Gazprom. , as well as the position of the President of Russia, to whom the Moldovan side has repeatedly turned for assistance, Gazprom it was decided to sign the contract practically on the terms of the Moldovan side
Sergey KupriyanovRepresentative of Gazprom
According to Kupriyanov, according to the terms of the contract, Moldova is obliged to pay 100 percent of payments for gas. The deadline for the next payments was November 22, but the company did not receive the money, and therefore issued a warning to the government of the country. In case of non-payment of debts, gas pumping to the country will be stopped in 48 hours.
Reply from Moldova
The head of the Moldovagaz company, Vadim Cheban, explained that the matter concerns the payment for consumption in October and half of the payment for November. “We have a special gap, because in October the purchase price in the tariff was $ 150, and we bought at $ 800 each, we are working on this problem now,” he said, assuring that the current situation is provided for in the protocol, which was signed by “ Gazprom and Moldovagaz.
The Moldovan company promised to solve the problem with Gazprom as soon as possible with the help of the country's authorities. To pay off the debt, Vadim Cheban asked the government for $ 74 million.
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In turn, the former Prime Minister of Moldova Ion Chicu advised to pay the Russian company until the gas reserves in the pipe run out. He explained that at the moment the government has no right to allocate money. For this, the Cabinet must approve a special bill and approve it in parliament. “Thank God, we have money, including $ 236 million from the IMF, they are in the accounts of the National Bank,” the ex-prime minister added. According to him, the debt to the Russian side must be transferred by Friday, November 26, otherwise the country may be left without gas.
New contract
Gazprom signed a five-year gas supply contract with Moldova at the end of October. Deliveries of Russian raw materials began on November 1 on mutually beneficial terms, the company stressed. Then the adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova Andrei Spinu Alina Merlic said that the price for Moldova will be lower than the market price, and Russian gas will cost Chisinau cheaper than any other sources.
The new agreements were reached almost a month after the old contract expired on September 30, 2021. Moldova faced a gas crisis, after which it received gas under a short-term contract for one month at a price of $ 790 per thousand cubic meters.
The reason for the crisis was that the Russian side demanded that Chisinau pay off its existing debt. Moldova, in turn, did not want to recognize him. Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilica warned that if no agreement is reached with Russia, in the near future Chisinau will have to spend 800 million euros to buy gas from other suppliers for five months of the heating season.
In addition, with a request for For emergency supplies, Moldova has turned to the European Union. Then the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU is ready to provide the Moldovan authorities with a grant of 60 million euros to deal with the consequences of the energy crisis. At the same time, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stressed that the EU will not finance the purchase of gas by Moldova from Gazprom.