Report: President: Settling Transdniester debt to Gazprom hard

MOSCOW, Jan 18 (PRIME) -- Moldova has outlines for settling its debt to Russian gas giant Gazprom, but the debt of the breakaway Transdniester republic is a complicated issue, Moldovan President Igor Dodon said in an interview to Sputnik Moldova radio station broadcast on Wednesday.

“We have an idea how to end the situation. As of today, the debt of the right bank (of the Dniester River) is about U.S. $500 million. But the debt of the left bank is about $6 billion. It should be understood that the entire debt of more than $6.5 billion is a combined debt of Moldova,” he said.

Gazprom does not differentiate the Transdniester debt from the combined Moldovan debt. “Regarding the right bank, we already offered sources to cover the debt in 2008, and we will return to the plan. There are some assets that Moldovagaz uses, but which are not in its capital,” he said.

“But it is obvious that we will not be able solve the issue of the left bank – of Transdniester – at this stage, it should be studied in the framework of the Transdniester settlement.”

Gazprom also promised to ensure supplies of Russian natural gas to Moldova regardless of the situation with the transit of gas through Ukraine, Dodon added.

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