The Moldovan government is asking for help from its European Union partners as the price of gas supplied by Russian giant Gazprom is expected to rise even further.

Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita said on Tuesday that Moldova is currently engaged in intensive negotiations with Russian state company Gazprom on extending its gas supply contract, but is looking at several gas supply possibilities in other European countries as well.

“Gazprom is trying to negotiate a price increase. It is unlikely that we will obtain the previous prices,” Gavrilita told a press briefing.

“When we have a negotiated price, then we will communicate it publicly,” she added.

Gazprom has extended its current gas delivery contract with Moldova to the end of October, but has already raised the price to $790 per cubic metre. Until now, the average price paid by Moldova in 2021 for Russian gas was about $200 per cubic metre.

Gavrilita said that officials were visiting several European countries to seek alternative supplies.

“Deputy Prime Minister [Andrei] Spinu is in Poland, Foreign Affairs Minister Nicu Popescu is also in several states to resolve the gas problem. Deputy Prime Minister Culminschi is helping as best he can [in the talks with Russia],” she said.

Spinu left for Poland on Monday for a two-day visit to discuss the supply of natural gas for Moldova.

Spinu announced last week that Moldova is entering “alarm mode”. He said that the government has already ordered a switch to oil consumption for heating purposes, with the fuel to be taken from the state’s reserves.

Moldova is also seeking help with gas supplies from neighbouring countries like Romania and Ukraine.

Romania’s interim Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu announced on Monday that he will tell European foreign ministers who are meeting in Luxembourg about the gas supply crisis in Moldova and will ask him to help Chisinau overcome the problem.

“The situation came about due to Russia’s sudden changes in supply conditions and natural gas costs,” said Aurescu.

The Iasi-Chisinau pipeline which links the two countries is functional, but Romania is not self-sufficient in its gas reserves. However, Moldova can buy gas from international markets and then transport it via the pipeline from Romania.

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