Russian gas giant Gazprom has every reason to halt gas supply to Moldova, and the fact that it still has not is a gesture of friendship, former Moldovan President Igor Dodon said on Monday
CHISINAU (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th November, 2022) Russian gas giant Gazprom has every reason to halt gas supply to Moldova, and the fact that it still has not is a gesture of friendship, former Moldovan President Igor Dodon said on Monday.
On Monday, Moldovagaz caught up on payments to Gazprom for gas withheld in Ukraine during transit, and the Russian gas exporter said it would not reduce the traffic.
"For me, it is essentially important to be friends with everyone. I have already said it and will say (it) once more: Russia is our strategic partner. Russia has repeatedly demonstrated that it is a friend to the Moldovan people. The fact that Gazprom, having a reason, doesn't cut us from gas is another friendly act toward Moldova," Dodon told reporters.
On November 22, Gazprom said that the gas it was sending to Moldova via Ukraine was not arriving at its destination point in full. Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spinu said Ukraine was withholding Moldova's "reserve" fuel, while Ukrainian gas company Naftogaz said the low level of transit was due to the mechanism of virtual reverse. Gazprom vowed that if the imbalance persists, it will reduce supplies to Moldova by the amount kept by Ukraine daily, starting November 28.
In October 2021, Moldova negotiated an extension of its contract with Gazprom under the condition that the country would pay its debt in 2022 in full. Gazprom reserved the right to stop gas supplies to Moldova completely in the event of violation of payment obligations and terms of the debt audit.
