Page 13 - FSUOGM Week 18 2022

FSUOGM POLICY FSUOGM

The gas distribution companies deposit pay- in euros or dollars,” he stressed.
ment in euros, which are then converted into Earlier this week, Slovak Prime Minister
rubles in their ruble accounts. Eduard Heger said Slovakia will continue to pay
According to the Financial Times, Italy’s Eni for Russian gas in euros as agreed in a contract
is currently considering whether to open a ruble and in line with rules and recommendations
account when its next payment comes due at the agreed by the EU. “Russia uses oil and gas as a
end of May. tool to pursue its imperialistic interests, which
The EU Commission has yet to give a clear have culminated in the invasion of Ukraine and
judgment on whether this breaches EU sanc- war crimes on its territory,” wrote Heger, accord-
tions on paying for gas in rubles. Paying in ing to the Slovak News Agency.
rubles would help support the Russian currency Slovak President Zuzana Caputova con-
and thereby allow the Kremlin to evade Western firmed that the country will continue to pay
sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine. in euros, Euractiv reported. “This is the Slovak
Last Wednesday, Russia stopped supplying position for the time being – as well as the posi-
gas to Poland and Bulgaria because they refused tion of all European Union (EU) states,” she
to pay in rubles. said, stressing that it is necessary to cooperate
The Slovak government insists that Slovakia in a unified approach with all EU countries
is not in danger of losing oil supplies. Slovakia is and secure Slovakia’s future in terms of energy
dependent on Russian supplies for 70% of its gas. resources independently of Russia. ™
“We monitor the situation every single day.
The gas is flowing, SPP has paid all its obliga-
tions,” the minister said. “If the gas stopped flow-
ing tomorrow, we would last until autumn,” he
added, according to Pravda.sk.
Richard Prokypcak, deputy chairman of
SPP’s board of directors, confirmed that deliver-
ies from the Russians are still on schedule. “Gaz-
prom promised us a sufficient time frame to deal
with the issues related to gas payments in rubles.
We do not underestimate the situation. We have
different scenarios. We are also communicat-
ing intensively with other gas suppliers,” he was
quoted by Pravda.sk as saying, stressing that a
tanker from the US with LNG is already in the
Mediterranean Sea. It is due to arrive on May 1.
Richard Kvasnovsky, executive director of
the Slovak Gas and Oil Association, told Pravda.
sk that Slovakia currently has no reason to pay in
rubles. “According to the contract, payments are Section of SPP gas distribution in Slovakia (Photo: Racom.eu)

Gazprom confirms it will

supply gas to Moldova in May

THE state-owned Russian company Gazprom Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita said that
has officially confirmed that it will supply given the circumstances the audit cannot be
natural gas to Moldova in May, even though carried out now and Moldova asked for a one-
authorities in Chisinau have failed to conduct year postponement of the deadline, which fell
an independent audit of historical debt, which on May 1.
the Russian supplier says would exceed $700mn, It was not clear as of earlier this week
Moldovagaz announced. whether the Russian company had accepted the
Gazprom has previously warned of discon- 12-month postponement.
tinuing gas supplies to Moldova for other rea- Gazprom only confirmed the volumes of
sons, such as late payment of monthly bills, and gas contracted for delivery to Moldova in May
the risks for such an event remains high. this year: some 32mn cubic metres of gas for
The audit was part of a memorandum sealed the right bank of the Dniester River (Moldova
by the government in Chisinau last November, proper) and four times more, or 131mn cubic
when Moldovagaz and Gazprom concluded a metres, for the left bank of the Dniester (the sep-
new long-term contract. aratist republic of Transnistria).

Week 18 05•May•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P13