Moldova expects to get 300 mln euros from EBRD to fund gas purchase - PM

CHISINAU. June 21 (Interfax) - The Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will consider the allocation of a 300-million-euro loan to Moldova to fund the purchase of natural gas, Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita said in an interview with the Pro-TV Chisinau television channel.

The government is seeking to remain in touch with the current gas supplier, Gazprom , she said.

"There have been no preconditions for now that Gazprom might cease supplies over Moldova's failure to comply with the terms of the contract on auditing Moldovagaz's historical debt to Gazprom [which was to be completed by May 1, 2022, in line with an October 2021 protocol]. We have sent requests on rescheduling the audit, which did not take place for objective reasons. We are continuing to look for independent auditors to do this work," she said.

The government is also preparing for the possibility that Moldova would have to buy gas on the market, she said.

"Therefore, the government counts on support from its partners, including the European Union, which provided 60 million euros in budget support to the government in 2021 to overcome the energy crisis," Gavrilita said, adding that her government was also considering the accumulation of gas reserves on the EBRD loan.

Nevertheless, she warned that "Moldova should be preparing for a hard winter due to high prices for energy, primarily for natural gas."