Even if President Maia Sandu goes to Russia, the obtaining of a better price for gas is possible only if concessions are made, said Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spînu according to whom the contract with Gazprom can be renegotiated only if the Moldovan authorities accept to make particular concessions. The official noted that if Gazprom fully halts the supply of gas, the Republic of Moldova will purchase gas from the international market and electricity from Ukraine, IPN reports.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, Moldova stored 24 million cubic meters of gas, which is enough to satisfy the needs during a summer month and a winter week. Furthermore, Moldova raised a loan from the EBRD and will use the money to increase the gas stores. If Gazprom terminates the contract with Moldovagaz, Chisinau will no longer buy electrical energy from Kuchurgan and will buy gas from the market.
“We will purchase gas to satisfy the needs of consumers the coming winter at the market price. The Kuchurgan Power Plant is the largest gas consumer in the Transnistrian region. If the plant does not receive gas through the contract with Moldovagaz, it will evidently be unable to work and to supply electricity. But we already signed an emergency contract with partners from Ukraine. We will be fully supplied with electricity by Ukraine at the price of about US$75 per MWh,” Andrei Spînu stated in the talk show “Shadow Cabinet” on JurnalTV channel.
He assured that the gas price calculation formula negotiated with Gazprom last year is a good one, while the high gas price is a consequence of the exorbitant purchase price. Even if attempts are made to renegotiate the contract, the Republic of Moldova will not obtain a better gas price if it does not make concessions to Russia.
“The formula we negotiated for summer is better than the formula negotiated by the Socialists when they were in power. The Socialists negotiated a formula that was fully based on the market price in summer. Under the current formula, we pay a smaller price than the market one. The rate was then lower because the market price was lower not because they negotiated better. Do you think that Bulgaria, Germany, Italy haven’t tried to obtain a better price? Do you think we are the only country that experiences such a situation? Do you think that if we go to Moscow for ten times things will change? Even if Maia Sandu or I go for ten times the situation will change only if their demands are satisfied. I want to ask the people for how long are they are yet ready to make particular concessions? Our real fight for Independence is given now,” stated Andrei Spînu.
On Thursday, the National Agency for Energy Regulation approved for consumers a gas rate of 22.99 lei per cubic meter of gas with VAT included. After the new rate was made public, the president of Moldovagaz said the new rate does not cover the costs associated with the purchase and transportation of natural gas and the contract with Gazprom will be therefore in danger. According to Vadim Ceban, the new rate was set by including the purchase piece of US$899 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas in the price calculation formula, but in August Moldova buys Russian gas at the price of US$1,458 per 1,00 cubic meters of gas and the negative deviations total 3.9 billion lei.
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