Veaceslav Negruța, a member of the Administration Board of Moldovagaz, said Chisinau will not give up and will insist on an independent audit at Moldovagaz. According to him, the protocol signed by Andrei Spînu and Alexei Miller provides that the Moldovan side is responsible for the audit. For their part, political commentators said the nonobservance of the signed protocol can be the subject of a case in international arbitration, IPN reports.

Veaceslav Negruță reacted after Gazprom accused the Republic of Moldova of adopting a unilateral approach to the independent audit of the debts owed by Moldovagaz. Gazprom threatened Chisinau that the resuts of the audit conducted without the participation of the Russian side can be rejected by the Supervisory Board of Moldovagaz.

“In accordance with the signed protocol, the Moldovan side has the task of organizing an independent audit of the debts owed by Moldovagaz to Gazprom. It is stipulated that the final audit report is to be discussed by the Supervisory Board. The independent audit is the responsibility of the Moldovan side. The Moldovan side means the Government of the Republic of Moldova, not Moldovagaz. Respectively, there were made attempts to discuss this provision and we therefore decided not to go to the last meeting of the Supervisory Board so as not to ensure the quorum for the majority shareholder to be able to take decisions,” Veaceslav Negruța stated in the program “Secrets of the Power” on JurnalTV channel.

Political commentators said Gazprom’s attitude to the Republic of Moldova was predictable and is an element of the hybrid war.

“Even if there is a clear agreement stipulating that this audit must be conducted, Gazprom says it will not recognize this audit. We can go to court, including to international arbitration. Beyond technical aspects, there are the political and geopolitical features. The Russian Federation, on the one hand, asks that the contract be obeyed and the payments be made in advance. On the other hand, it does not respect the provisions of the agreement. I don’t think someone in Europe or on earth will be surprised by such behavior of Gazprom. It is known at international level that this company, besides supplying gas, also becomes involved in politics. The behavior of Gazprom is part of a hybrid war,” stated political commentator Vadim Pistrinciuc.

Under the protocol signed by the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the Russian gas giant Gazprom last October, a debt repayment schedule will be agreed after the debts owed by Moldovagaz are determined by an independent audit at Moldovagaz.

Gazprom owns 50% of the shares in Moldovagaz, while the Government of the Republic of Moldova owns 35.3% of shares through the agency of the Pubic Property Agency. The Transnistrian side has a shareholding of 13.4% that is managed by the Russian side.