Moldovan deputy PM hopes to continue dialogue with Gazprom in coming weeks
CHISINAU. Sept 2 (Interfax) - The negotiations held with Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller this week did not bring full clarity to relations between Chisinau and Gazprom , but a number of issues could be cleared up in the coming weeks, Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister Andrei Spinu said.
"We discussed a whole range of issues, but the discussion did not clear up all points. There are still a number of uncertainties on some issues. We'll receive those volumes that we requested, that is, we won't have problems with gas supplies for the month of September," Spinu told journalists on Friday.
"There are still a great deal of uncertainties," he said.
"Unfortunately, the conversation that I had with Mr. Miller did not clear up everything. He confirmed the volumes for the month of September, but a lot of open questions still remain. I hope to continue this dialogue and have greater clarity in the coming weeks," Spinu said.
Moldova is tending to its energy security and will seek alternative sources of gas supply, he said.
"We've been looking for alternatives since the fall of last year. I will repeat that a large problem at the moment is price. As soon as we have a solution for a better or a commensurate price, obviously, we'll diversify gas imports. Replacing one source with two or three sources ensures energy security, and that's what we want to do," Spinu said.
Spinu and Miller discussed gas supply issues and holding an audit of Moldovagaz's debt to Gazprom this week.
The parties agreed to an audit last October. However, the Moldovan government was long unable to find an auditing company. It emerged in August that the Moldovan authorities had concluded a contract for an audit with Norwegian company Wikborg Rein Advokatfirma and the UK's Forensic Risk Alliance & Co. The Moldovan authorities said at the time that the companies should perform the audit before January 30, 2023. Gazprom, however, has limited the time period for the audit to October 1, 2022. According to Spinu, it will be impossible to hold the audit by October 1.