CHISINAU, October 3. /TASS/: Moldova is ready to purchase gas from Gazprom, but at a favorable price and without political conditions for Chisinau, the country’s Energy Minister Viktor Parlikov said.
"Today, we have not completely abandoned the idea that we will never purchase gas from Gazprom for the right bank [part of Moldova]. But now we have a choice. If we are offered a good price, and if this price is not associated with any political conditions, political risks in relations with the EU, then this is possible," Parlikov said in an interview with the Moldovan publication Newsmaker.
Earlier, Parlikov said that the right bank part of Moldova had completely switched to gas supplies from the European Union, explaining this by a more advantageous offer from European suppliers.
Moldova is experiencing an energy crisis due to rising prices for gas and electricity, which has provoked protests in the country. Since October last year, Gazprom, which was previously the only gas supplier to the republic, has reduced its daily supply volume by 30%. The Russian company explained that this was due to technical problems associated with limited transit through Ukraine, but Chisinau blamed Gazprom for the crisis. In this situation, in December last year, Moldova completely switched to purchasing fuel from European suppliers, and Russian gas is sent to generate electricity in the unrecognized republic of Transnistria.
Kremlin spokesman President Dmitry Peskov said that the dialogue between Gazprom continues to stay in touch with Moldova, in particular about Chisinau’s debt to the company. For its part, Gazprom reported that it receives daily requests for gas supplies from the Moldovan company Moldovagaz and fulfills them.
