There is a contract in force between Moldovagaz and Gazprom, which can continue to be honored, regardless of whether the transit through Ukraine will be extended or not. The fact is that the Russian side does not want to honor these obligations. The statement was made by President Maia Sandu.
"Technical transit routes exist, beyond transit through Ukraine. But it seems that there is no responsibility on Gazprom's side to honor its contractual obligation and deliver natural gas to the left bank", the head of state told a press conference on Thursday.
According to Maia Sandu, Gazprom has not been fulfilling its contractual obligation to the right bank for some time. But here things are simpler because the Chisinau authorities have managed to identify alternative sources.
"In the case of the left bank, if it turns out, and from what we see so far today it seems that Gazprom will not fulfill this contractual obligation, then the government will have to take other measures. The major problem is the ability of the left bank to pay, but solutions will be found here too. We need to save more and reduce consumption", the President said.
According to Maia Sandu, Moldova has gotten into this situation because of the Russian Federation, which has been supporting an illegitimate regime for decades. "This regime, with the contribution of the Russian Federation, has brought our fellow citizens on the left bank in a situation where they are unable to pay the real price, the market price of energy resources", Maia Sandu added.
The transit of Russian gas through Ukraine could stop on January 1, when the contract between Gazprom and the Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz expires. The parties have said the contract will not be extended. At the same time, the Russian supplier has not booked transportation capacity on other routes such as the Black Sea, Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania.
