CHISINAU, February 1. /TASS/. The price of the Russian gas for Moldova will go down from $686.9 to $563 per 1,000 cubic meters in February 2022, Executive Board Chairman of the gas distribution company Moldovagaz Vadim Cheban reported via his Telegram channel on Tuesday.

"According to preliminary calculations, the purchasing price of the natural gas for Moldovagaz will be $563 per 1,000 cubic meters in February," he wrote. The decrease in the price will enable the company to offset part of "negative financial deviations," which currently amount to over 2 bln leu (more than $111 mln), according to Cheban.

On January 20, Moldova’s parliament introduced the state of emergency in the republic for 60 days for the second time in the past several months after Moldovagaz failed to settle accounts with Gazprom. This was due to tariffs in the country not being adjusted in line with prices in due time and financial difficulties of the gas distribution company.

Gazprom and Moldovagaz extended the gas supply contract for five years last October. The agreement included an important provision to pay for gas consumed in the previous month, as well as half of the volume consumed this month, by the 20th day of each month. Last November the republic was also late with its payments and received a notification from Gazprom on the possible suspension of gas supplies within 48 hours. The republic’s government at the time allocated the shortfall.