Gas negotiations: chronicles of the working week

Pridnestrovie has been living without gas for a month now. The protracted energy crisis risks developing into a humanitarian catastrophe, and a solution to resume gas and energy supplies to the republic has not yet been found. We learned a lot about the progress of negotiations on gas supplies this week. Details are in the material of the parliamentary press service.

Monday, January 27

The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky spoke in the course of the regular meeting of the Operational Headquarters at the beginning of the week about the progress in the negotiations on gas supplies and once again called on the Moldovan side not to create artificial barriers to the delivery of blue fuel to Pridnestrovie. Pridnestrovie has been working on various options for gas supplies to the republic, but none of them suited the Moldovan side since the end of December. The leadership of the Republic of Moldova demanded that only Moldovagaz would supply gas to the PMR in mid-January. Pridnestrovie agreed to this condition.

According to President Vadim Krasnoselsky, the main problem with the negotiations is that they are moving too slowly. The blame for this lies with the Moldovan side. The Moldovan leadership declares assistance almost every day, but does not take any actual deeds. The resonant statements of some Moldovan officials and experts calling for a radical solution to the accumulated problems do not help stabilize the situation.

Tuesday, January 28

Abkhazia has appealed to the leadership of the Republic of Moldova to allow gas to enter Pridnestrovie. The head of the official representative office of the PMR in Abkhazia Garry Kupalba said that Chisinau is turning gas supplies into an instrument of pressure.

The development of the situation in Pridnestrovie is being closely monitored in the Russian Federation. This was reported by the State Duma deputy Andrey Gorokhov.

Wednesday, January 29

The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky shared new details about the progress of negotiations on gas supplies with journalists and the public on Wednesday, January 29. Vadim Krasnoselsky spoke in detail about the role of the Russian Federation in resolving the energy crisis. Vadim Krasnoselsky visited the Russian capital in mid-January, where he discussed options for restoring gas supplies to Pridnestrovie.

“The Russian side is ready to work with everyone by and large, as long as natural gas is delivered to Pridnestrovie for people and their homes are warm. At the same time, the specific assistance of the Russian Federation consists in the fact that Russia allocates a certain credit to Pridnestrovie, a loan. We use this money to credit Tiraspoltransgaz, and they pay for the gas supplied by Moldovagaz”, – told Vadim Krasnoselsky.

The President noted that negotiations are underway, the parties are agreeing on technical issues.

“All parties to this deal are working transparently, working for money, we are talking about gas that is on European exchanges. Pridnestrovie will pay. I am sure that this can be done in 3-4 days if no one puts a spoke in the wheel, if the emergency commission meets on time, and the gas will go to Pridnestrovie”, – the President of the PMR stated on Wednesday, January 29.

The President also said that Moldovagaz and Tiraspoltransgaz signed a contract for a loan of 3 million cubic meters of gas for Pridenstrovie. There will be enough gas in the system until the end of the month, and these 3 million cubic meters will be enough for another 10-12 days to maintain the gas system to avoid its "air locking".

“There were 13 million cubic meters of gas left in our system. This is what we saved in December, having been forced to stop our large enterprises, which were left without gas and without work in fact. This was done in order to leave gas in the system – these 13 million cubic meters, to provide gas to multi-story buildings and social facilities. The gas is running out, that is why we asked Moldovagaz for another three million. This is not free of charge. We guarantee a return in gas or payment by March 1. The Emergency Situations Commission made this decision, for which we thank them”, – told the PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky.

The President spoke about a grant of 30 million euros that the European Union is ready to allocate to overcome the energy crisis.

“The EU is ready to provide assistance to Pridnestrovie and partially to Moldova to cover the deficit: gas in our case, in their case – electricity. There was no precision. Judging by the statements of various officials, somehow everything does not add up to a single understanding. Everything is vague. Everyone reports in their own way”, – told Vadim Krasnoselsky.

The President noted that Pridnestrovie welcomes assistance from the European Union, but would like to know more about the conditions for its provision. The head of state convened an Operational Meeting, which was attended by Prime Minister Alexander Rosenberg, First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Economic Development Sergey Obolonik and Foreign Minister Vitaly Ignatiev. The President instructed the Foreign Minister to speed up negotiations on the EU proposal for a grant for the purchase of gas by Pridnestrovie.

The meeting of Pridnestrovian and Moldovan energy experts took place on the same day, in an online conference, but did not bring any clarity. Contradictory statements by Moldovan officials once again proved that Chisinau is not thinking about real assistance to Pridnestrovie.

Thursday, January 30

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Vitaly Ignatiev spoke in more detail about the meeting of experts in an interview with the Russian TV channel "Russia 24" the next day.

Vitaly Ignatiev stated that even if Pridnestrovie received a European grant, it would not solve the main problem. Long-term gas supplies are needed in predictable and stable conditions. Therefore, there are no alternatives to the Russian proposal today. We are talking about gas supplies from Europe to the funds that the Russian Federation will allocate to Pridnestrovie as a loan.

Meanwhile, Moldova's actions to block European aid to Pridnestrovie were condemned in the European Parliament. The European Left Party called on the Moldovan government not to hinder gas supplies to Pridnestrovie.

Moldova's actions were condemned by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova noted that the economic and social difficulties for Pridnestrovie are rapidly growing. The reasons for the ever-increasing delays and objections from the Moldovan side to the options proposed by external partners are unclear.

According to Maria Zakharova, one gets the impression that Kishinev's statements about its readiness to help Pridnestrovie are nothing more than a declaration, while in fact the Moldovan authorities are interested in using the energy crisis as a weapon to increase pressure on Pridnestrovie.

Support for Pridnestrovie was expressed by State Duma deputy Sergei Chizhov, who represents the interests of Pridnestrovians in the lower house of the Russian Parliament.

The parliamentarian noted that the State Duma deputies are in constant contact with their Pridnestrovian colleagues.

Friday, January 31

the issue of gas supplies to Pridnestrovie remained in limbo by Friday morning. The President Vadim Krasnoselsky once again spoke about how the negotiations were progressing in an interview with Izvestia.

The PMR President spoke about the damage the energy crisis has caused and continues to cause to the republic's economy and added that the state of emergency in the economy of the republic will be extended (the relevant Decree of the President of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, approved by the PMR Supreme Council, expires on February 8). Vadim Krasnoselsky noted that the republic's economy is in a state of shock. Pridnestrovie is in dire need of resuming gas supplies. There is already a solution.

It would seem that the optimal option for gas supplies has been found. All that remains is to wait for a positive decision from the Moldovan side. It is expected to be adopted at a meeting of the emergency commission. However, the date of its holding is still unknown. Moreover, the leadership of the Republic of Moldova continues to delay the process.

The leadership of the Republic of Moldova has been trying to shift the blame for the energy crisis to the Russian Federation since the beginning of January. The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova in the course of today's briefing called these attempts caddish lies. The Russian Foreign Ministry advocates for a long-term, sustainable solution to the issue of energy supply to both banks of the Dniester. First and foremost, in the interests of the residents. 

A similar position was voiced today by the Head of the OSCE Mission to the Republic of Moldova Kelly Keiderling in the course of the meeting with the President of the PMR Vadim Krasnoselsky. Earlier, representatives of the OSCE Mission to the Republic of Moldova visited the ambulance service, the Republican Clinical Hospital and two penitentiary institutions, making sure that citizens are in decent conditions and provided with everything they need. The Head of the OSCE Mission to the Republic of Moldova emphasized that it is extremely difficult to work in conditions of constantly changing input data. The interlocutors agreed that it is important to take not only rapid response measures, but to work for the long term and, through joint efforts, create a basis for preventing future crises.