The Minister of Energy of Moldova, Viktor Parlikov, announced a trip to St. Petersburg on November 25 for negotiations on the supply of Russian gas to Transnistria. As informs NewsMaker, Parlikov admitted that the visit to Russia is a “sensitive issue”.
“But these are our options. Either you go and discuss, or you don’t go and don’t discuss. If you don’t discuss, then, in my opinion, you lose the opportunity to solve the problem.”, the minister noted.
He emphasized the importance of achieving a clear understanding of Gazprom’s position regarding gas supplies to the Transnistrian region.
“We have drawn up 12 different scenarios that will happen in one case or another. We will be able to cope even with the scenario in which the transit and supply of Russian gas to the Transnistrian region is interrupted, but this is not the best scenario.”Parlikov explained.
The official also expressed concern about the possibility of gas supply interruption after January 1. He emphasized that Transnistria is completely dependent on Russian gas, and its termination could lead to socio-economic collapse in the region. And there are weapons, the Russian army and ammunition depots.
The Moldovan delegation aims to receive clear answers from Gazprom regarding the fulfillment of contractual obligations in the context of a possible termination of transit through Ukraine.
“If not, that’s a different story. We need clarity on that, and as soon as possible to prepare for a scenario where supply stops. If that happens, it will be difficult for all of us.”, – noted Parlikov.
It should be noted that after the start of the full-scale war, Moldova gave up Russian gas, switching to purchases on the European market. However, Russia continues to supply gas to Transnistria, which provides Moldova with most of its electricity.
