Gazprom, Moldovagaz Extend Gas Supply Until Late 2015

Gazprom and Moldovagaz clinched a deal to extend gas supply and transit contracts until late 2015, in a meeting focused on gas cooperation between Russia and Moldova.

‘The parties addressed the state and the long-term outlook for the Russian-Moldavian cooperation in the gas sector. Special attention was paid to NGV projects,’ reads the note released on Tuesday. 

Moldovagaz, which is a joint Russian-Moldavian company set up by Gazprom, the Moldavian Government and the Industry Ministry of Transnistria, extended last year the conditions of the contracts signed in 2011, after a temporary suspension in the negotiations due to doubts over the compatibility of the contract with Moldova’s commitment to implement the Third Energy Package.  

According to a recent report, Moldovagaz threw stones in the path of the Iasi-Ungheni pipeline from Romania to the western border region of Moldova. The interconnector was opened to great fanfare on August 27.

However, last week, Moldovan government approved the necessary financial measures to support its gradual integration into the EU. 

‘The government today approved the financing agreement for the Support Programme on the creation of the Free Trade Area with the EU. This programme will help public institutions, citizens and the business community to make full use of the open European market for Moldovan products. The document provides for the European Union granting assistance amounting to 30 million euros for 2014 - 2017. A sum of eight million euros will be amounted from the total by the end of the year,’ the government wrote on its website.