The state-owned enterprise Energocom and the Polish company PGNiG on October 25 signed a contract for a trial purchase of 1 million cubic meters of natural gas, IPN reports, quoting the Government’s press service. The purchase price of gas is not specified, but the Government assures that the tariff paid by the citizens for natural gas will remain unchanged.

In the announced tender contest, Energocom received seven bids. The trial purchase is aimed at testing the capacity to import gas from alternative sources and at balancing pressure in the natural gas transportation system.

The Government said the negotiations with the Russian Federation and Gazprom on the signing of a long-term contract for the supply of gas continue. As the pressure in the national natural gas pipeline network is low, the purchase from alternative sources is made to maintain the transmission of natural gas to consumers.

This is the first purchase of natural gas from alternative sources in the history of the Republic of Moldova.

In a press release, the Polish company PGNiG Supply & Trading (PST) says it will deliver the 1 million cubic meters of natural gas to Moldova on October 26, in cooperation with ERU Group - the main partner of PGNiG in Ukraine. The gas will be brought to an entrance point on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border.

Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spînu in a news conference on October 25 said the discussions on the supply of gas between Gazprom and the Republic of Moldova are thorny and no favorable result for Moldova has been achieved so far. The talks will continue with Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller in St. Petersburg on October 27.