(Moscow) The Russian gas giant Gazprom on Monday threatened Moldova to interrupt its gas deliveries within 48 hours for lack of payment on time, increasing the pressure on this small country in the midst of an energy crisis in Europe.
“The deadline for payment is (Monday) November 22. Today Gazprom, in accordance with the terms of the contract, informed the Moldovan side that gas deliveries to Moldova would be interrupted within 48 hours, ”company spokesman Sergei Kuprianov told the TV channel. Russian NTV.
“Gazprom is deeply disappointed that Moldova does not meet its contractual commitments,” he added.
At the end of October, Moldova and Gazprom had extended the contract between them by five years, after several weeks of tough negotiations.
Mr Kuprianov said on Monday that Gazprom had agreed to sign the contract on condition that Moldova paid its invoices in full and on time.
Moldova, a country of 2.6 million inhabitants located between Romania and Ukraine, traditionally sources gas from Russia via the pro-Russian breakaway region of Transnistria and Ukraine.
But complications had arisen after Gazprom’s price hike in October when the contract was extended for one month, a decision the Moldovan government deemed “unjustified and unrealistic” for this country which is one of the most important. poor in Europe.
Threatened with shortages, Moldova had established a state of emergency which allowed it to buy gas from Poland, a first since its independence in 1991.
Former Soviet Republic, Moldova is divided between supporters of a rapprochement with Moscow and those wanting to join the European Union.
Experts argue that Moscow has increased its tariffs to punish the small country after the election in 2020 of pro-European President Maia Sandu.
For its part, Moscow had accused the Moldovan government of late payments and threatened to turn off the tap if a new contract was not signed.
The Kremlin had denied any desire for geopolitical pressure on Moldova, arguing that it was only a commercial matter.
These shortages in Moldova arose against a backdrop of soaring gas prices in Europe, which some countries blame in part on Moscow.