Moldova will buy Russian gas at a price “2 times lower than the market price”, said the Deputy Prime Minister

Moldova will buy Russian gas, paying about $ 450 per thousand m³. About it reported on Facebook, Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spinu. “As of November, the price will be around the figure of $ 450 per thousand cubic meters, and later the price would fall depending on the gas price quotation on the stock market. Under the current conditions, we will have a price 2 times lower than the market price and a price lower than we paid in October, ”he wrote.

The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the protocol signed by the parties “does not provide for any political conventions and in no way mentions the Transnistrian region.”

Earlier it was reported that Chisinau does not recognize the entire amount of the debt to Russia, since it does not intend to pay for gas supplies to residents of uncontrolled Transnistria.

Now the parties have agreed to conduct an independent audit of the debt of the Moldovagaz company in 2022. Based on this audit, decisions on the maturity of the debt will be made.

A TASS source close to the negotiations on the gas contract, told about a new formula for calculating the cost of gas. “If earlier privileges were applied to all gas volumes, then, according to the new conditions, in the first and fourth quarters of the year, the republic will buy 70% of volumes pegged to oil prices, and the rest at market prices; in the second and third quarters – 30% pegged to oil prices, and the rest – at market prices, ”the source said.

He added that the new contract also stipulates that Moldova will pay Gazprom the accumulated debt for deliveries in previous years.

The volume of gas supplies to Moldova under the new contract will amount to 3.3 billion cubic meters per year, reported sources of “Kommersant”. As the newspaper notes, for the first time since 2012, Moscow and Chisinau signed a mid-term contract. Previously, the agreement was usually renewed for one year. Sources attribute this to the unwillingness of the Moldovan side to repay the debt.

Previously, Chisinau bought gas from Gazprom at an average price of $ 200 per thousand m³. At the same time, in October Moldova received Russian gas at a market price of $ 790 per thousand cubic meters.

At the end of October, the Moldovan government introduced a state of emergency in the country due to a shortage of natural gas. Chisinau also asked for emergency assistance from the European Union after a reduction in gas imports from Russia and an increase in fuel prices.

The Moldovan side insisted on extending the contract with the Russian supplier on terms similar to the previous contract. And “Gazprom” demanded from Chisinau to pay off the debt in the amount of $ 709 million.

October 29 Moldova and Gazprom came to an agreement on the extension of the gas supply contract for five years, starting from November 1. Gazprom Press Service reportedthat the contract is being extended “on mutually beneficial terms.”