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Moldova asks Gazprom for new deferral of gas payment in January — Deputy Prime Minister

According to Andrei Spinu, by the end of this week the Moldovan-Russian gas distribution company Moldovagaz will pay for the fuel received in December last year

CHISINAU, January 11. /TASS/. The Moldovan government has turned to Gazprom with a new request to defer payments for gas supplies in January 2022, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spinu told a press conference on Tuesday.

"Yesterday I had a conversation with Mr. Miller (chairman of the board of Gazprom, Alexey Miller - TASS), during which we tried to agree on the possibility of postponing the payment of this advance by 10-20 days so that Moldovagaz could accumulate funds. The discussion is ongoing," Spinu said.

According to him, by the end of this week the Moldovan-Russian gas distribution company Moldovagaz will pay for the fuel received in December last year. "There is no problem with the payment for the gas that was imported in December," Spinu assured.

However, he presented forecasts according to which Moldovagaz will lack about 25 million euros to fulfill its financial obligations on supplies this month by January 20.

He noted that the gas distribution company will also have to find funds to pay the advance. "The supervisory board of Moldovagaz is to meet next week, at which representatives of Gazprom and the Moldovan government will once again discuss this issue," Spinu said.

In October, Moldovagaz and Gazprom extended the contract for the supply of gas for five years. There is an important clause which implies that by the 20th day of each month Moldova is obliged to pay the cost of gas consumed in the previous month, as well as half of the volume consumed in the current month.