A Moldovan delegation will leave for Moscow on Monday, March 20 to resume the negotiations on a new natural gas contract. The chairman of the gas company Moldova-Gaz, Ghenadi Abaskin, is in the Russian capital for the third day. Minister of Economy and Trade Valeriu Lazar fell short of revealing details in this regard after a cabinet sitting this week. Earlier, Lazar has said that Moldova will continue seeking a lower price than at present. At the same time, the head of the Russian gas giant Gazprom, Alexei Miller, said that the gas price for Moldova should be at the European level. Also, he conditioned the gas price with concession of shares in the joint stock society Moldova-Gaz. The chairman of the Moldovan Union of Energy Consumers (UCE), Nicolae Mogoreanu, said in an interview with Info-Prim Neo that the introduction of the new customs regime at the Moldovan-Ukrainian border for Transnistrian economic agents has compliacated much the stance of Moldova at negotiations on natural gad price. As a result, he noted, Chisinau will have to accept important political concessions. The UEC chairman is sure that the gas price will oscillate between 160 and 180 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres, if Moldova does not cede in Russia’s benefit. Mogoreanu accused the Chisinau authorities of non-transparent negotiation process, saying that this action reveals that they “have what to hide.” According to economic analyst Iurie Gotisan, the Russian side could raise many pretensions during negotiations on natural gas price with Chisinau. „According to governmental officials, Moscow will bitterly insist on a higher price for gas deliveries. They fear that the price could be higher than 160 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres,” Gotisan added. The current contract on importation of natural gas will expire within less than two weeks. Under the existing contract which is effective until April 1, the Russian gas giant Gazprom delivers natural gas to Moldova in exchange for 110 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres, compared with 80 dollars until January 1, 2006.