The Republic of Moldova and Russia came to an agreement surprisingly quickly in their most recent gas dispute. A spokeswoman for the Moldovan government announced on Friday evening that the supply contract with the Russian state-owned company Gazprom will be extended for another five years. Agreements were also reached in talks in the Russian Baltic metropolis of St. Petersburg on the price and the debt that Moldova is supposed to repay to Russia. Gazprom also confirmed the contract extension and spoke of "mutually advantageous conditions". Further details were initially not known.
The previous contract between the impoverished ex-Soviet republic of Moldova and Gazprom had actually expired at the end of September, but was then extended for another month.
During the negotiations there has recently been a major dispute - above all about the gas price that is too high from Moldova's point of view and about Russian repayment claims for Moldovan debts amounting to more than 700 million US dollars, which Chisinau did not recognize.
In view of the dramatic energy situation, Moldova recently imposed a one-month emergency.
It was feared that people in the crisis-ridden country, which is dependent on Russian gas, could sit in the cold in winter.
The EU pledged additional aid amounting to 60 million euros.
Moscow is repeatedly criticized for rewarding the Kremlin with favorable gas prices.
During the negotiations with the small Republic of Moldova, which borders on the EU member Romania and has been following a pro-Western course since a change of power, critics sensed Russia's political motivations.
Last year Chisinau had paid significantly less under a then-Moscow-friendly government - albeit at much lower world market prices.
The Kremlin, on the other hand, denies such allegations.
Moscow recently referred to, among other things, the current high demand for Russian gas and the global rise in gas prices.