MOSCOW, October 2. /TASS/. Gazprom continues to stay in touch with Moldova, in particular about Chisinau's debt to the company, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.
Earlier, Moldavian Energy Minister Viktor Parlikov said that the republic "has completely switched to [gas] supplies from the European Union." He said the switch to European suppliers was due to them offering a better price.
When asked how the Kremlin’s opinion about such statements from Chisinau and how gas supply to Transnistria will be carried out if relations between Moldova and Gazprom are completely severed, Peskov said: "If I understand correctly, contacts between Gazprom and Moldova continue, especially since the Moldovan side owes money. There are debts to be paid, and there is a dispute regarding the size of these debts. This dialogue must continue."
Commenting on Moldavian Energy Minister’s remarks about the "more advantageous" offer made by European suppliers, the Kremlin official noted that "the spot market (market for short-term, instant contracts - TASS) is very fickle."
"Yes, you can now buy gas on the spot [market], which in the end will most likely turn out to be Russian gas on the European market. It is possible that Moldova did this," the Kremlin representative noted.
"The spot market is such that today it may be cheaper than piped gas (Russia mainly supplies this gas under long-term contracts - TASS), but tomorrow it will be much more expensive. So, taking this into account, one should make their calculations based on averages, " he noted.
"Therefore, of course, we need to work out the details. And our main goal is to settle all debt issues between the Moldovan side and Gazprom," Peskov emphasized.
Moldova is experiencing an energy crisis due to rising prices for gas and electricity, which has provoked protests in the country. Since October last year, Gazprom, which was previously the only gas supplier to the republic, has reduced its daily supply volume by 30%. The Russian company explained that this was due to technical problems associated with limited transit through Ukraine, but Chisinau blamed Gazprom for the crisis. In this situation, in December last year, Moldova completely switched to purchasing fuel from European suppliers, and Russian gas is sent to generate electricity in the unrecognized republic of Transnistria.