Tiraspol, November 28 / Novosti Pridnestrovya/ Pridnestrovie has always been a responsible participant in international relations, strictly following the neutrality principles, commitment to peace as well as a non-interference in other states' affairs. This was reminded by PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky in an interview with the Russian Parliamentary newspaper, responding to a question about the appeal to the chairmen of the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
At the same time, according to the head of state, even though the fact that Pridnestrovie is not used to it living under pressure, blockades and restrictions, the current situation is extraordinary. It’s very important that the UN, as the international system’s and the OSCE’s fundamental structure, as a mediator in the Moldovan-Pridnestrovian settlement, have the opportunity to receive first-hand information about the situation in the republic.
“We see that these organizations have the interest to solve them (problems – editor’s note.) Already, after sending the letter, on November 25, the PMR Foreign Ministry was visited by the UN delegation. At this meeting, issues related to energy and the humanitarian crisis’s prevention in Pridnesrovie were particularly discussed,” Vadim Krasnoselsky noted.
Since October 1, Russian Gazprom has limited the natural gas supply to Moldova and Pridnestrovie to up to 5.7 million cubic meters per day. This happened due to the violation of an obligation on Moldova’s part. JSC Moldovagaz, which is a party to the Moldovan-Russian gas contract, at that time allowed the payment schedule’s violations for the blue fuel received and didn’t conduct an audit on Moldova’s historical debt for gas within the required time frame. Pridnestrovie became a hostage to the situation.
The result of the reduction in Russian gas supplies was the blue fuel shortage in both Moldova and Pridnestrovie. It especially sharply appeared by the third decade of October. Pridnestrovie has already resorted to saving measures since October’s beginning and on October 21 introduced an emergency state and postponed the heating season start for several days. The Moldavian HES was forced to reduce the electricity supply for export to Moldova.
On November 1, a new round of the gas crisis began for the PMR. JSC Moldovagaz unilaterally limited the blue fuel volume delivered to Pridnestrovie by 40 percent, from 3.9 to 2.3 million cubic meters per day. The Moldovan side wasn’t embarrassed by the fact that such a decision is inconsistent with the Moldovan-Russian contract terms, where the gas volumes for the RM and the PMR are fixed.
As a result, another contract signing for the electricity supply from the Moldavian HES to Moldova was disrupted. The Republic of Moldova started to buy electricity in Romania, and today it’s about three times more expensive than the Pridnestrovian one. Because of this, electricity tariffs for residential consumers are continuing to rise in the neighboring country.
The gas volume that was taken away by Moldova from Pridnestrovie in November reached almost 50 million cubic meters in total. In Tiraspol, already in early November, they expressed the opinion that this gas, particularly, could be stored by the RM’s authorities in Ukrainian gas storage facilities.
On November 22, PJSC Gazprom reported that it was also recording Russian gas settling in Ukraine. NJSC Naftogaz, in response, noted that the blue fuel part intended for Moldova and Pridnestrovie is remaining in Ukraine through a virtual reverse, which is implemented by the Moldovan authorities.
There’s a version that gas can also be resold to Ukraine at market prices (at the same time, the blue fuel re-export is prohibited by the contract between JSC Moldovagaz and PJSC Gazprom).
Pridnestrovie addressed the Russian and PJSC Gazprom leadership with letters in which the situation with the illegal blue fuel seizing was outlined. The PMR Supreme Council’s delegation, headed by speaker Alexander Korshunov, visited Moscow, where they held meetings in the State Duma, the Federation Council as well as the Russian Federation Government. On November 22, appeals regarding the current crisis were sent by PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky and the PMR Supreme Council Chairman Alexander Korshunov to the UN and the OSCE.
Pridnestrovie needs at least 100 million cubic meters of natural gas per month for its requirements (such a figure will increase further in December due to the cold). In November, the republic received only 69 million cubic meters. This led to the fact that the large industrial enterprises working were suspended, the autumn holidays at schools were extended for a week, an hourly schedule for hot water supply was introduced, and the coolant temperature in residential buildings was lowered
