Moldovan delegation leaves for Moscow to negotiate gas price

A delegation of Moldova, led by prime deputy prime minister Zinaida Grecianîi, will leave on Monday, 27 February, for Moscow, where it will be discussed the necessity to conclude the document regarding gas supply and trasit via Moldova. Foreign minister Andrei Stratan announced about this on Thursday, 23 February. Stratan made this statement in the context of the information given to press on the recent phone talk held with Russian counterpart Serghei Lavrov. The head of Moldovan diplomacy said that while his visit to a Albania he was called by Serghei Lavrov. Stratan mentioned that it was discussed about Moldovan-Russian relations, about the activity within CIS, as well as starting the discussions at governmental level, regarding gas supply. According to agreement concluded on 16 January 2006, the first 3 months of 2006 Moldova purchase natural gas from Gazprom at a price of 110 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters. Till that date the gas was purchased at a price of 80 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters. Russian part asked then 160 dollars, thus the experts do not exclude an increase of the gas price starting 1 April 2006.