Page 7 - FSUOGM Week 44 2021

FSUOGM COMMENTARY FSUOGM

Moldova publishes agreement with

Gazprom on 5-year gas deal

Moldova's long-term contract with Gazprom expired at the end of September, leaving the

country vulnerable at a time when energy prices have surged across Europe

MOLDOVA MOLDOVA’S Deputy Prime Minister Andrei
Spinu has published the protocol linked to the
five-year contract signed between Moldovagaz
and Gazprom, a deal that put an end to the gas
crisis in the country but also prompted questions
from the opposition.
The protocol, as published by Mold-Street.
com in its Russian version, is co-signed by Spinu
and Moldovagaz officials on the Moldovan side,
and by Gazprom officials on the Russian side.
In an interview published by Kommersant,
President Maia Sandu explained that govern-
ment officials were involved in the negotiations
“because the prices rose so much and the situa-
tion deteriorated”.
Moldovan opposition figures expressed con-
cerns related to the protocol signed by Spinu,
particularly in regard to Moldova’s commitment of the Republic of Moldova and the Govern-
not to enforce the reorganisation of Moldovagaz ment of the Russian Federation in the energy
(controlled by Gazprom) before the issue of the field, which will include maintaining the status
debt owed by Moldova proper (not including the of Moldovagaz (including non-enforcement
separatist republic of Transnistria) to Gazprom of forced reorganisation or sanctions) until the
is settled. settlement of the debt to Gazprom for the gas
Under the fourth point of the protocol, Mol- delivered to consumers on the right bank of the
dovagaz and Gazprom will seal an agreement Dniester [not including Transnistria].”
over the historic debt, following negotiations The fourth point follows, stating: “By May 1,
that will begin this November. The debt should 2022, Moldovagaz and Gazprom will sign a debt
be repaid within a five-year period, according to settlement agreement for the gas delivered to the
the protocol. right bank of the Dniester, which will provide for
The reorganisation of Moldovagaz — which the payment of the debt within 5 years.”
is linked to the implementation of the energy Moldovan foreign policy expert Dionis
market liberalisation under the European Cenusa commented that the signing of the con-
Union's third energy package — will not take tract “is obviously good news, because a series
place until the debt issue is settled, according to of negative consequences difficult to estimate
the third point of the protocol. has been avoided. A few things deserve atten-
Member of the Dignity and Truth Platform tion, though. Both the government in Chisinau
(PPDA) Alexandru Slusari claimed that the and Russia avoided the negative scenarios that
protocol, particularly in its Russian version, can could have been caused by stopping gas supplies.
be interpreted as blocking the reorganisation of Minister Spinu said that the price formula is the
Moldovagaz until the debt is fully paid, namely one proposed by the Moldovan side. However,
for five years. according to the Russian sources, the price could
However, the Romanian version published by be proportional with the price of oil and natu-
Deschide.md indicates the points of the protocol ral gas over a nine-month rolling period. The
can hardly be interpreted in the sense suggested price will also be reviewed quarterly. That is, if
by Slusari. it turns out that this is the formula, the price will
The third point stipulates: "The parties agreed not be the same [will be higher] compared to the
that by the end of 2022 an agreement should be one resulted from the old formula that was only
approved and signed between the Government based on the price of the oil.” ™

Week 44 03•November•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P7