Moldova to have gas - PM says

Chisinau, 19 October /MOLDPRES/- Moldova is facing a dramatic crisis in the supply of energy resources, against the background of rising prices internationally, but the country will have natural gas, the question is at what price? Prime Minister Natalia Gavriliţa made the statement today.

The premier said she had high-level telephone talks with the Russian side, but the negotiations with the Russian concern Gazprom are not simple. According to Natalia Gavriliţa, more details, for the time being, cannot be made public, because the negotiations are still ongoing. At the same time, the official specified that in the next days the deputy prime minister Vlad Kulminski will go to Moscow, where he will discuss this subject with officials from the presidential administration.

The prime minister also said that the Chisinau Executive had talks with several governments and companies, in order to identify other gas suppliers, stating that "we are in negotiations with Romania, Ukraine, Poland and other countries". "The situation we are in shows how correct was the decision to speed up the construction of the Iasi-Chisinau gas pipeline. In the last week we have received certain volumes of gas to balance the pressure and we are grateful to Romania for the support provided in this process. We are also grateful to Ukraine for the permanent dialogue in solving the problems of natural gas supply ", Natalia Gavriliţa said.

The Prime Minister also said that the Government will start the process of purchasing gas from alternative sources through the company Energocom, and at this week's meeting the Cabinet of Ministers will modify the budget to increase the statutory capital of Energocom for these acquisitions. In this context, the prime minister informed that he will have a telephone conversation with the leader of the self-proclaimed rmn, Vadim Krasnoselski, to see how the energy crisis will be overcome by the Transnistrian region.

Natalia Gavriliţa admitted that finally the gas purchase price will increase, respectively the tariffs, but the Government will be with the citizens and is preparing a compensation mechanism - either according to income, or according to the volume spent, or to support the categories disadvantaged. "I am confident that by the end of the month an agreement will be signed with either Gazprom or other suppliers, and the country will deal with the situation," Natalia Gavriliţa concluded.

Photo: MOLDPRES