According to a senior official, the Moldovan government may file a lawsuit against Gazprom, the state-owned energy giant of Russia, over a significant reduction in natural gas supplies, Euronews reports.
The tiny former Soviet state is dependent on Russian natural gas provided by Gazprom and is coping with a 40% reduction in delivery that has hampered its capacity to provide enough energy to its 2.5 million inhabitants.
Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spinu said late on Monday that the attorneys were examining whether fines might be applied for failure to provide the full volume of gas in accordance with the contract.
“When it becomes clear, we will decide what actions to take and in what direction to act,” Spinu noted, as cited by Euronews.
Moldova and Gazprom have a contract that changes month to month depending on the price of gas and oil on the spot market, notwithstanding Moldova’s condemnation of the Kremlin’s incursion into Ukraine.
Moldova purchases a portion of the remaining electricity from Ukraine, which has ceased all power exports as a result of Russian forces’ strikes on its energy production facilities.
According to Spinu, government-run power provider Energocom purchased 27 million cubic meters of gas in addition to an additional 127 million cubic meters to be kept in reserves in Ukraine for the winter.
In order to help the nation strengthen Moldova’s energy security, as well as to broaden its supply sources, the United States intends to grant about $49.5 million (48.9 million euros) in aid, the Moldovan energy ministry announced in early November.
In addition to the US, the European Commission will provide non-reimbursable financial support to Moldova in the amount of 52 million euros ($51.5 million), the Moldovan finance minister informed. Additionally, Moldova was also granted financial aid by France to repair energy infrastructure and railways.
