Four rounds of Russian-Moldovan negotiations in October over natural gas supplies have revealed the two sides’ conflicting positions (see Part One).
The Russians propose signing a gas supply contract with Moldovagaz for the month of November, at the spot market price of $1,000 per one thousand cubic meters (no public information about the volume) and, in due course, a contract for December at the spot market price. The Russians offer a 25 percent discount from those dizzying prices, on the following conditions: 1) Moldova to pay immediately for Russian gas received during September and October in the Moldovan government-controlled territory (right bank of the Nistru river, as distinct from Transnistria on the left bank); 2) the Moldovan government to take responsibility for Moldovagaz’s company debts to Gazprom, turning those into Moldovan state debts, again for gas received in right-bank Moldova; 3) Moldova to commit to repaying those debts within the next three years; and 4) Chisinau to accept yet another postponement of “unbundling” Moldovagaz, as the European Union’s Third Energy Legislation Package requires, into independent companies for gas procurement, transportation and distribution. Gazprom takes the position that the unbundling would affect Gazprom’s assets in Moldova, given that Gazprom holds 50 percent plus one share in Moldovagaz.
Russian Gazprom Ready to Pounce on Moldovan Prey (Part Two) – Jamestown
