A worker at a gas pipeline craneCHISINAU, Jan 19Gazprom has officially warned that it will stop gas supplies to Moldova if it does not receive another payment by January 20, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilitsa said at a briefing on Wednesday. $646 per thousand cubic meters from $450 in December. Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spinu noted that Moldovagaz is negotiating with Gazprom in order to defer payment for gas supplies in January, and also expects to receive a loan to pay off the debt to the Russian concern. From February 1, the gas tariff in the country may be increased again, after which the heating tariff will also be increased.State of emergency in the field of energy may be introduced in Moldova «Yesterday, Gazprom sent an official letter to Moldovagaz, in which it warned of its intention to stop gas supplies if the payment was not repaid by January 20. Moldovagaz did not manage to raise money, so today it will be held meeting of the Commission for Emergency Situations,» Gavrilitsa said. On October 29 last year, after lengthy negotiations, Gazprom and Moldovagaz extended the gas supply contract for a period of 5 years, starting from November 1. Gazprom said that, taking into account the situation in Moldova, it was decided to sign a contract practically on the terms of the Moldovan side, but subject to timely 100% payment of current payments. In November, the republic had problems with transferring payments on time, a delay was needed. The Moldovan authorities approved amendments to the state budget to pay off the debt to Gazprom in the amount of $74 million for gas received in October and November, in December Moldovagaz was able to pay off on its own. However, Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov expressed concern that the non-payment crisis could repeat itself in the future.
