Moldovan Economics Ministry denies natural gas deficit
19:38 | 25.03.2015 Category: Economic
Chisinau, 25 March /MOLDPRES/ - The Economics Ministry denied the information disseminated by some media sources, according to which Moldova would face problems in supplying natural gas. "The situation is stable, volume requirements meet the consumers’ needs and it is provided without interruptions," reads a statement released by the ministry.
"We believe that the information published in some media outlets are tendentious and mislead public opinion. The contracts on gas deliveries to Moldova are being fully carried out, without any deviations or difficulties", says the statement. The Economics Ministry notes that, through subordinated institutions and partners, they were continuously monitoring the developments and were ready to intervene at any time to solve any possible problem.
The ministry also denies information on halting natural gas deliveries from Romania, considering it erroneous. According to the contract signed between OMV Petrom (Romania) and Energocom (Moldova), the latter will import more than one million cubic meters of natural gas at the price of 1010 Romanian lei for one thousand of cubic meters throughout 2015.
According to the contract's provisions, this volume is distributed per semesters. Thus, about 700,000 cubic meters were to reach Moldova in the first three months and the volume was delivered by 20 March. According to the contract, in the second and third semesters, Moldova will receive 90,000 cubic meters, and the remaining gas will reach the country through the Iasi-Ungheni pipeline in the fourth semester of this year, when gas demands increase. The specific period will be determined by the Moldovan side.
The press today wrote - referencing Moldovagaz representatives - that Russian gas giant Gazprom threatened to disrupt gas deliveries to Moldova due to accumulated debt. "We are getting such warnings more and more often. We see what is happening in Ukraine, which has to pay in advance for the delivered gas. For us it would be a huge burden, both for the companies and for the consumers'', they added.
(Reporter V. Bercu, Editor L. Alcaza)
