Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița confirmed there is a risk that Gazprom will fully stop the natural gas supplies to Moldova but noted that such a scenario will be generated not by the violation of the contract provisions but by the fact that Moldova condemns the war in Ukraine alongside the international community. The officially assured that Moldova is ready to cope with a halt in gas supplies, IPN reports.
Premier Gavrilița noted that after the amounts of gas supplied by Gazprom were cut by 30%, the authorities cannot neglect the possibility of a full halt as Gazprom is an unpredictable partner that ignores the contract clauses.
“It’s clear that we strongly condemn the war in Ukraine, the so-called referendums and the attempt to annex territories. We undertook to be part of the free world, to develop in a European style. Therefore, they can find fault in the contract, in protocols, in agreements,” Natalia Gavrilița stated in the talk show “Reflection Points” on Vocea Basarabiei station.
The official said the Government took steps to make sure that Moldovagaz is able to fulfill its obligations to Gazprom. The authorities are also storing natural gas for emergencies.
“We empowered Energocom to purchase gas from the international market. We have stores totaling 53.5 million cubic meters of gas. It’s true that this amount is enough for a short period of time. In the conditions seen in October, it will be sufficient for a month. But we can also use a loan agreed with the EBRD, which will enable us to buy larger amounts from the market. We are having discussions with the Government of Romania. The Moldovan-Azeri intergovernmental commission convenes next week and I will attend the meeting. We are discussing with players that can offer us alternative access to energy resources,” stated Natalia Gavrilița.
Recently, Gazprom informed that it reserves the right to interrupt the supply of natural gas and to terminate the contract with Moldovagaz if the next payment is not made by October 20.
“We are the first Government for which the provision regarding the payment by the date of 20 of each month is applied so strictly. At the same time, we every time did our best to help with liquidity. The problem is Moldovagaz is a private company in which Gazprom is a majority shareholder, which means that Moldovagaz is a daughter company of Gazprom. We purchased the debts of Termoelectrica, which were confirmed by court decision, and freed the thermoelectric plants of debts to Moldovagaz. So, we not only ensure the country’s energy security but also clear the state-owned companies’ historical debts,” noted the official.
In accordance with the contract signed with Gazprom, Moldova must pay the gas consumed the previous month and a 50% advance for the current month by the date of 20 of each month.
