Gazprom Ready To Sign New Contract For Gas Supplies With Moldova If Debt Settled - Company

The issue of gas supplies to Moldova is not political and Gazprom is ready to sign a new contract if Chisinau recognizes its outstanding debt, as the company cannot operate at a loss, Sergey Kupriyanov, Gazprom's spokesman, said on Saturday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd October, 2021) The issue of gas supplies to Moldova is not political and Gazprom is ready to sign a new contract if Chisinau recognizes its outstanding debt, as the company cannot operate at a loss, Sergey Kupriyanov, Gazprom's spokesman, said on Saturday.

Moldova's current debt for Russian gas stands at $709 million.

"Despite the accumulated debt, the Moldovan side is asking to extend the contract for gas supplies for October and November this year. Gazprom agreed to compromise, signing the contract for October, and is also ready to extend the contract for November if the Moldovan side pays for the September-October supplies in full," Kupriyanov said.

However, if there is no full payment for the gas already supplied, and a new contract is not signed from December 1 of this year, then Gazprom will stop gas supplies to Moldova, the spokesman warned.

"There is no politics here, Gazprom is a joint-stock company and cannot operate at a loss, cannot afford to lose tax payments it owes the Russian budget. There are limits to patience. Moldova has provoked this crisis with its own hands," he said.

Kupriyanov added that Gazprom is confused by the reports that the Moldovan authorities plan to liquidate Moldovagaz, the owner of Moldova's debt to Gazprom for the supplied gas. "You have to pay for the goods received on time," he noted.