Gazprom will halt the supply of gas to the Republic of Moldova in 48 hours if Chisinau does not pay its current debts, Sergey Kupriyanov, press secretary to Chairman of the Management Committee of Gazprom, stated for “Rossia 24” channel, being quoted by RIA Novosti news agency.
“Gazprom signed a contract with Moldova on condition that the current payments for gas are fully made. The next deadline was November 22. Therefore, the company notified Moldova that the supply of gas to it will be halted in 48 hours if the owed payment is not made today,” Sergey Kupriyanov told “Rossia 24”.
“Given the difficult, very difficult economic and financial situation of the Republic of Moldova, being guided by the wish to keep Moldova’s capacity to pay its debts to Gazprom and by the position of the President of Russia, from whom the Moldovan side repeatedly sought help, Gazprom decided to sign the contract practically in the conditions proposed by the Moldovan side, but with an essential and important point: Moldova fully pays for the current gas consumption,” said Sergei Kupriyanov, noting that no payment was made by November 22.
On October 29, Gazprom and Moldovagaz agreed to extend the contract for the supply of natural gas for a five-year period, starting with November 1. According to the quoted Russian source, the sides signed a protocol on the solving of the current problems faced in the gas sector and the conditions of the extension are mutually advantageous.
In the evening of November 22, Moldovagaz issued a press release saying that it indeed received notification from Gazprom on November 22, by which it is asked to pay for the natural gas supplied in October and November 2021 during 48 hours. Moldovagaz explained that the payment obligations haven’t been fulfilled on time because SA Moldovagaz in October 2021 had a balance of payments deficit following the rise in the purchase price of gas in 2021 from US$ 126.70 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas in the first quarter to US$800.62 per 1,000 cubic meters in October 2021, when the average annual purchase price was US$148.61 per 1,000 cubic meters and this was included in the current gas rate since November 03, 2020. They are working to solve the problem and are confident that the Moldova authorities will lend a hand so that this is solved as swiftly as possible.
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