Moldova's President Maia Sandu said on July 13 that she will not sell a portion of her country for cheaper gas for the next six months. President Maia Sandu stated that Moldova signed a contract with Gazprom on the most favourable conditions possible, given Moscow's "speculative" stance in this area. Sandu, however, did not want to sell a part of the country for the sake of a more lucrative, but short-term deal.
On July 13, the President warned on Moldova 1 media agency that Moldova, like many other countries throughout the world, should brace itself for a harsh winter. Sandu further stated that she does not regret not going to Moscow to negotiate the price of gas. She stated that the administration will address the allocation of funds for this with the EU at the end of the week.
According to the media agency, The Moldovan President said, "I'm not going to sell part of the country just to have cheaper gas for half a year. Our country is independent and we must stick to it. Yes, it's hard now, it's hard for everyone. And, last but not least, because during this time they did not develop alternatives, because they did not invest in energy projects - then they were not interested in this. The projects that we are doing now will pay off in 4-5 years."
Sandu chastised the opposition for exclusively criticising the incumbent government over an unprofitable gas contract. However, when in power, they did not sign a long-term arrangement with Gazprom and "served Moscow, not Moldovan citizens." The president also stated that the entire world is bracing for a harsh winter owing to a possible disruption in gas supplies, and Moldova is no exception.
She said, "I'm sorry to say this, but we also need to be prepared for a winter like this. This means that we should, as far as possible, insulate our homes to reduce heat loss, because that will be the biggest problem. The government is working on a compensation mechanism, and a fund will be created to support citizens in need of this assistance," Republic World reports.
