CHISINAU, October 18 (RIA Novosti) - The Moldovan government is going to extend the gas contract with Gazprom before November 1 and expects to reduce its gas purchase price, the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Andrian Candu said Saturday.
"We won't be left without gas this winter. Before November 1 the contract [with Gazprom] will be extended. We are not going to delay the negotiations until December 31. In our view, the purchase price of $374 should be reduced by at least five dollars," Candu said in an interview with a local TV channel.
The minister added that Gazprom, delivering to the country approximately 1.1 billion cubic meters of gas per year, is a very important partner for Moldova.
According to the Ministry of Economy of Moldova, Kishinev pays about $374 per thousand cubic meters of Russian gas. The long-term gas supply contract with Gazprom expired in 2011.
