Pipes do not keep: gas crisis repeated in Moldova

Marcel Salikhov, President of the Institute for Energy and Finance, commented to Izvestia on the gas crisis in Moldova.

The Moldovan parliament, at the proposal of the government, approved the introduction of a state of emergency for 60 days due to the energy crisis. Such measures were taken by the country's authorities for the second time in the last three months.

— I think that until the end of this heating season, this situation will be repeated. So far, it is related to the fact, that gas prices in the European spot remain quite high. This means that for Moldova they will also grow, - Marcel Salikhov says.

The cash gap between how much Moldovagaz receives from consumers and how much has to pay to Gazprom, leads to a shortage of financial resources.

— In this situation, there are two options for a systematic solution. First, there will be another increase in gas prices in Moldova to create an additional safety cushion. Second: to attract external sources of financing - either from the budget, or loans, - Salikhov told Izvestia.

Answering the question, how possible the third way is to revise the terms of the agreement with Gazprom, the expert replied: “There is always such an option. But given the fact that the contract was signed recently, it is not yet clear what could serve as a basis”.