If Gazprom stops natural gas supplies to the Transnistrian region, the official Chisinau is ready to intervene to provide the inhabitants of the region with gas, but at market prices, said Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Oleg Serebrian. The official stressed that gas cannot be provided for free, IPN reports.

"The citizens on the left bank of the Nistru will have to pay the same price for gas as those on the right bank of the Nistru. We do not differentiate between the citizens from the two banks of the Nistru," Oleg Serebrian stated in a program on TV8 TV channel.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that he does not rule out possible compensation, humanitarian aid for the inhabitants of the region. "We will address various governmental and nongovernmental organizations. I have already talked to some of them on this subject so as to understand how they can help us, especially what help they can offer to children, pensioners.  We have to think about it, but I am not saying that it will necessarily happen," said Oleg Serebrian.

The principle of fairness is fundamental in the management of the energy crisis, insisted Oleg Serebrian, saying that the Government will act to help vulnerable citizens. "There are 342,000 citizens living on the left bank of the Nistru. Of the total population there, 148,000 are pensioners. The majority of the population is connected to the gas network," stated the official.

The agreement on the transit of Russian natural gas through Ukraine, which also reaches the Transnistrian region, expires on January 1, 2025. The region is dependent on Russian energy resources and the interruption of supplies could generate a major humanitarian crisis, experts warn.