Moldova, which promised not to pay for Transnistria’s debts, began negotiations on gas
President of Moldova Igor Dodon agreed with the head of the board of Gazprom, Alexey Miller, to begin negotiations on the terms of new contracts for the supply and transit of gas. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.
Dodon wrote about this in his Telegram channel, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“We reviewed the progress and prospects of cooperation in the energy sector. In particular, they discussed issues related to the supply of Russian gas to Moldova and its transit through the territory of the republic. Agreements have been reached to begin negotiations on the terms of new contracts for the supply and transit of gas from January 1, 2020,” Dodon wrote.
Contracts between PJSC Gazprom and JSC Moldovagaz for the supply of gas to consumers in Moldova and the transit of gas through its territory are valid until the end of 2019.
On the eve of his visit to St. Petersburg, Dodon said that Transnistria “will not receive free gas” next year and will not pay the debt of the unrecognized republic of Moldova.
The Russian Gazprom previously stated that Moldovagaz’s debt for 2018 reached 431,66 billion rubles. Most of the debt (more than 90%) falls on Transnistria.
Moldova has repeatedly proposed transferring the Transnistrian part of the debt to the Transnistrian gas transport operator Tiraspoltransgaz LLC, but Gazprom prefers to keep the debt for Moldova, since official Chisinau insists that the PMR is Moldovan territory and denies the republic recognition of independence.
Previously, Dodon stated that Moldova would like, like members of the Eurasian Economic Union, to buy Russian energy duty-free, although Chisinau only has observer status in the EAEU.
Dodon does not consider it necessary to withdraw from the Association Agreement with the EU. “All agreements remain: with Europe, the Eurasian Economic Community, the CIS - we will be friends with everyone,” Dodon said after the parliamentary elections.
“Very often, big players set conditions for countries like us: choose whether to be with us or against us. It is known that the West tried to drag us against Russia. What has changed, I feel it from my dialogues with Putin, Macron, Merkel - they began to understand the principle of a balanced foreign policy. Because if Moldova is now faced with a choice, it will explode like Ukraine,” Dodon argued.
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