Zinaida Grecianii will sign gas supplies contract with Gazprom

A Moldovan delegation headed by prime deputy prime minister Zinaida Grecianii, left for Moscow on Tuesday, December 26, to negotiate and sign with the Russian Company “Gazprom” the mid-term contract of natural gas supply, due to which the gas deliveries will start as from January 1, 2007. Moldova’s President Vladimir Voronin recently told a press conference that the gas price will rise only by USD 10 against the current price of USD 160 for one thousand cu. m. Head of state justified this low price increase by “the joint projects that the Government proposed the “Gazprom” concern and RAO ES”. The state authorities did not give details about these “joint projects”. Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Zinaida Grecianii categorically rejected the possibility of giving up the enterprises from the thermo energy complex in order to secure a favourable gas contract, underlining that the attraction of Russian investments does not mean giving up enterprises, and “Gazprom” has equal possibilities like other potential investors to participate in investment contests. Grecianii stated, after signing the protocol of the Moldovan-Russian Joint Commission, that the price of natural gas delivered by “Gazprom” will gradually increase. As such, in 2011 Moldova will pay a price equal to the European average and the new contract regarding the gas delivery and price for 2007 will be signed until December 28. As from 1 July currently, Moldova imports Russian natural gas at a price of USD 160, compared to the price of USD 110 paid in the first quarter. The Government says that, in the process of the negotiations of the new contract, there was succeeded in keeping the state’s property, no goods were sold and the reduction of the state’s quote in the assets of energy system in Moldova was not accepted. Independent experts are worried about the fact that the price of USD 170 could be obtained if communist authorities recognise the property of Russia on Cuciurgan Thermal Plant, and Transnistria’s debts for gas in the amount of about USD 1.2 bln. Another concession assumed by experts would the right given to Russia to build in Moldova production capacities – thermal plants for exporting power to the Balkans.