Moldova fails to make gas payments to Russia's Gazprom

By Murat Temizer

ANKARA (AA) - Gazprom may opt to stop gas deliveries to Moldova in light of its failure in paying for its October gas supplies, an official from Gazprom said on Wednesday.

Sergei Kupriyanov, the representative of Gazprom, explained that payment for October deliveries was due on Monday, Nov. 22, and a 48-hour payment deadline will now expire on Wednesday.

The Russian company said that Moldovagaz, the recipient of gas in Moldova, had been warned of a possible transit stop in case of non-payment.

The head of the Moldovan operator Vadim Ceban confirmed on Tuesday that Moldovagaz is working with the government on a mechanism to pay off the current debt to Gazprom through a loan of about $74 million.