Moldovan Parliament to Consider State of Emergency Over Gas Crisis

CHISINAU (Sputnik) -The Moldovan government has asked the parliament to impose a state of emergency for 60 days due to the risks of a gas crisis in the country, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilitsa said.

"The Commission for Emergency Situations recommended that the government introduce a state of emergency throughout the country due to the situation in the energy sector since Moldovagaz will not have time to pay the advance payment for January [to Gazprom]. The draft government decree on the introduction of the state of emergency has been approved. If the parliament approves this request, then tomorrow the emergency committee will meet again to discuss further actions to provide the country with gas," Gavrilitsa told a government meeting.

Earlier on Wednesday, the prime minister said that Russia's Gazprom had warned that it will halt gas deliveries to Moldova if it does not receive another payment by 20 January.

Gazprom and Moldovagaz extended the contract for five years in October. The Russian gas provider said it accepted Moldova's conditions but demanded timely payments.

The European nation had to amend the budget last year to repay $74 million in outstanding debt to Gazprom for October and November deliveries with the December deliveries fully paid by Moldovagaz.

On 11 January, Moldovan Infrastructure Minister Andrei Spinu said Chisinau was negotiating a delayed payment for January because it could not keep up with the volatile gas market adding that Gazprom, Moldovagaz's largest shareholder, should give it more leeway.