Government hopes to get a lower price for the Russian gas

The Moldovan Government hopes to get a better price for the natural gas delivered from Russia. “So far, the price to be applied from July 1 has not been official communicated,” the first deputy premier Igor Dodon has said, asked by journalists to provide details as to the last week's talks with Gazprom, Info-Prim Neo reports. Economy and Trade Minister Igor Dodon says he will travel to Moscow earlier in July for more talks with Gazprom. According to the accord between Chisinau and the Russian monopoly, the price will be announced in the beginning of July, perhaps on July 8 or 9. Experts forecast it will be by 12 - 13% dearer and will reach $240 per 1,000 cubic meters. “We have signed a good agreement with Gazprom, till 2011, which allows for the price to be increased gradually, until it gets to the level for European countries. Still, we consider the method of calculating the price of the gas delivered to Moldova can be improved and we'll discuss it during the working visit,” the deputy prime-minister said. Igor Dodon has also said they will discuss on restructuring Moldova's historical debts, assessed at $120 million, and the issue of the debts incurred by the Transnistrian area. Now Moldova pays 100% for the Russian gas. Transnistria annually imports about 1 billion cubic meters. Since the beginning of the year, the price of 1,000 cubic meters is $213. Transnistria's debt exceed $2 billion, although the consumers pay regularly for the consumption, Info-Prim Neo's correspondent in the area reports. Last year a part of the money for paying the debt was used to pay pensioners' pensions. Every year, the difference of the price of the gas delivered to the area and the price offered to final consumers is poured in the so-called “fund of state internal debts” which now amounts to $115 million. Now the average European price has reached $410 per 1,000 cubic meters.