The Government should take part in the negotiation of a new contract for the supply of Russian gas and should try and obtain a reduction for the Republic of Moldova, said ex-deputy Speaker of Parliament Alexandru Slusari. He leveled criticism at the authorities’ decision to make the negotiations with Gazprom the full responsibility of MoldovaGaz. The former director of the National Agency for Energy Regulation Victor Parlicov believes Moldova will continue to pay a preferential price amid the global rises in gas prices, IPN reports.
Alexandru Slusari said given that the Russian gas giant Gazprom owns 50% of the shares in MoldovaGaz, representatives of the Government are obliged to take part in the negotiation of a contract for the purchase of gas and to defend the interests of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova.
“Now Gazprom discusses with Gazprom. The representative of MoldovaGaz, even if he is a citizen of the Republic of Moldova, is the representative of Gazprom. We already have a first conflict of interest. Furthermore, Gazprom is a cudgel used for political purposes, being fully controlled by the Kremlin. On the other hand, 35% of the shares in MoldovaGaz belong to the Government of the Republic of Moldova. Given the created situation, the Government is obliged to take part in negotiations with Gazprom. The President should not become involved, as Dodon did earlier. Institutionally, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova should have principled discussions,” Alexandru Slusari stated in the talk show “Emphasis on Today” on TVR Moldova channel.
For his part, ex-NAER director Victor Parlicov said the price that will be paid by the Republic of Moldova for Russian gas will be anyway preferential, even if higher than the previous years. The Republic of Moldova has no other way out than to adjust itself to the trends on the international market.
“The price depends on the average European price. If any discounts are offered, we will have to make concessions at the political level for these. How did things end in Crimea when they got a discount of US$100 per 1,000 m3 of gas? With the extension of the contract for hosting the Russian troops. We do not need something like this. The price for the Republic of Moldova will be very good against the international conjuncture. This is the reality. The Government should now provide compensations and help the citizens who will be unable to fully pay the bills,” stated Victor Parlicov.
Earlier, representatives of the Government announced that they will not become involved in the discussions with Gazprom on the new contract for the supply of gas, arguing that this is the prerogative of MoldovaGaz. Under the law, 50% of the shares in MoldovaGaz belong to Gazprom, 35.5% to the Government of the Republic of Moldova, while 13.4% to the Transnistrian region.
