Vladimir Voronin: New price for natural gas is the price Moldova pays for its territorial integrity

The new price for natural gas is the price Moldova will have to pay for its territorial integrity, the president Vladimir Voronin said within the interview offered to the radio station „Эхо Москвы» on the occasion of his visit to Moscow at the informal summit of CIS. In order to obtain territorial integrity Moldova is ready to pay this price, Voronin declared. He regretted the fact that the last time the price for natural gas was settled only until December 31, 2006. He gave understand that the “unknown situation from the New Year’s eve symbolizes the present Moldovan-Russian relationship” We try to negotiate, but as in case of wines, it is presented to us as a political issue, Voronin states. He said that Gazprom did not present any special requests and that negotiations continue. The Russian concern was proposed to participate in investment projects in the energetic sector of Moldova, fact that could lower the price for natural gas. According to Voronin, Gazprom “was interested in this proposal”. President says that the attitude of the Russian part regarding Moldova is inequitable, because starting January 1 it is the only country in Europe to which the natural gas deliveries were ceased for 16 days. “Only with the support of the Ukrainian president, Moldovans did not freeze; children and old persons did not die, because we received the necessary minimum for the functioning of Power Plants.” Also inequitable is the fact that Moldova purchased all these years natural gas at a price similar to the one settled for Baltic countries, without taking into consideration that Moldova is the poorest country in Europe and that “it is a CIS member country”. “Ukraine was receiving 2-fold cheaper natural gas, although it consumes 200-fold more than Moldova”, the president mentioned. In this context, the head of state said that Moldova consumed 1.3 bln cubic meters in 2005, “this are ridiculous figure”, because the losses of Gazprom could be several fold bigger. “We were paying consciously with cash, any barter or economic relationships being excluded”, Vladimir Voronin, quoted by Info-Prim Neo said.