Journalists Alexandr Petkov, who is a minority shareholder of SA Moldovagaz, said President Maia Sandu must not take part in the talks with Gazprom, but the Government should become involved in these and should play the main role in the negotiations.
In a news conference at IPN, Alexandr Petkov said that the contract for the supply of natural gas to the Republic of Moldova between Moldovagaz and Gazprom expires on September 30, at midnight. He was sure that the prolongation of the current contract will be examined in the extraordinary meeting of shareholders held today. Therefore, he addressed a similar text to the Public Property Agency that manages the state-owned shareholding of 35.33% in Moldovagaz and to Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spînu, insisting that the state’s representative should abstain from voting for the extension of the contract or, if he votes, he should demand that the gas supplied to the Transnistrian region should be paid.
According to the shareholder of Moldovagaz, the Transnistrian region’s debt is close to US$8 billion. The gas to the region since 2007 has been supplied under a contract approved by the representative of the Government of the Republic of Moldova. This is a “mafiotic” scheme. The payments for the gas supplied to the Transnistrian region could and can be guaranteed by Gazprom, which manages 60% of the shares of Moldovagaz, by the Rybnitsa Metallurgical Plant or by the Moldovan GRES.
The contracts for the supply of gas and the additional documents are discussed and approved in the absence of the one that is in a conflict of interest, which is a Gazprom. So far the Government’s representatives have voted in the interests of Gazprom and the Transnistrian region. The journalist considers that hidden goals are pursued. During the past three years, the one who voted was a functionary of the Ministry of Economy who came to meetings with instructions how to vote. Petkov said all the instructions are written at Moldovagaz, being coordinated with Gazprom.
Two additional agreements that modified slightly the natural gas price calculation formula were approved today. The volume of gas supplied to the Transnistrian region was raised by another 40 million cubic meters, which means US$11 million for financing the Transnistria regime. Representatives of the Government voted again without any objections, stated Alexandr Petkov.
He noted that a new additional agreement with the new prices, was to be adopted today, but the Government refused because discussions about what’s going on in relation to the gas appeared in society and this is gladdening. He expects the Government will take other concrete steps to prevent a rise in the natural gas tariffs for the population.
