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Moldova's government should give up energy agreements with the European Union

Former Moldovan deputy prime minister Igor Dodon believes Gazprom contract is more beneficial to consumers
Photo ITAR-TASS/ Vadim Denisov
Photo ITAR-TASS/ Vadim Denisov

CHISINAU, September 2 (Itar-Tass) - The former Moldovan deputy prime minister, Igor Dodon, says Moldova's government should give up energy agreements with the European Union and sign a long-term gas contract with Gazprom to meet the interests of Moldovan consumers.

“According to our information, Moldovan representatives and Gazprom negotiated a 30 percent reduction of gas prices for our republic last year,” Dodon, now a member of parliament and leader of the Moldovan Party of Socialists, told Itar-Tass. He spoke ahead of a visit on Monday to the capital, Chisinau, by Russian Vice-Premier Dmitry Rogozin, the Russian president’s special envoy seeking a solution to problems of the Dniester region's breakaway from Moldova.

"If the Moldovan leadership goes ahead with the EU's third energy package, it will put our traditional gas suppliers in a very unfavourable position. It means gas prices for our republic may soon become European,” said Dodon, co-chair of the Russia-Moldova inter-governmental commission in 2008-2009. He added that higher gas prices would increase tariffs for Moldovan consumers.

Dodon noted that Moldova received gas at economically advantageous prices on the basis of a 2006 contract with Gazprom. “While importing fuel and energy from Russia and Ukraine, Moldova is signing strategic commitments with the European Union. This is reprehensible behaviour,” Dodon said.

“Pro-European ambitions of the Moldovan authorities may spin around with geopolitical pragmatism on the part of Moscow which could remind Moldova of its outstanding debts, including those accumulated by the Dniester region,” Dodon said.

“We could also be reminded that a ‘European’ country should pay a European price for its fuel and energy,” he said, adding it would be hard for the Moldovan side to sign a beneficial new gas contract with Gazprom.