Moldova not going to pay non-existent debts, PM says regarding debt to Gazprom

CHISINAU. Sept 6 (Interfax) - Moldova should not pay non-existent debts to Russia's Gazprom , Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The prime minister made his remarks after Moldovan Energy Minister Victor Parlicov presented the results of an international audit of Moldova's historic debt to Gazprom.

"Moldova will not pay non-existent debts. We will not allow this debt to weigh on the shoulders of our citizens. Moldova is not going to pay non-existent debts, and the citizens of Moldova, obviously, are not obliged to pay for this either," Recean said, thanking the energy ministry for the report.

Parlicov said earlier that a comprehensive audit had shown Moldova owes Gazprom $8.6 million.

"This is the result of more complex calculations related to both debt and claims that we can make against Gazprom," Parlicov told a press conference, explaining where the $8.6 million came from.

The undocumented debts are $276 million, he said.

Moldova's debt for gas became a controversial topic in relation to Moldova and Gazprom in 2021. The Russian company considers that Moldova owes $709 million for gas, the debt itself being $433 million and the rest penalties for overdue payments.