CHISINAU, Moldova, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Moscow's unilateral decision to halt natural gas shipments to Ukraine has harmed even its consumers who pay their bills promptly.
Approximately 90 percent of Europe's natural gas supplies from Russia crosses Ukraine by pipeline.
Beginning in 1996 Moldova has paid the highest price in the Commonwealth of Independent States for Gazprom's natural gas, $80 per 1,000 cubic meters. Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin asserted that Moldova promptly pays its bills in cash. Voronin called a meeting to discuss Moldova's ongoing negotiations with Gazprom, AIS Moldpress news agency reported. Government officials and Moldova-Gaz stock company personnel participated in the meeting.
Moldova has yet to signed a contract with Gazprom on new prices for Russian natural gas. Voronin said, "Moldova has presented its position to Gazprom, this position is seriously enough reasoned, through all the necessary economic calculations. Nevertheless, we have heard no counter-arguments of Gazprom's officials, except for sighing and shoving the finger up. We are able to make the payments to Gazprom at market tariffs, but these tariffs should be reasoned and not spun out of thin air."
In 1982 the U.S. considered sanctions against the Soviet Union on the construction of the 3,400-mile Siberia-West Europe gas pipeline, arguing that the proposed natural gas pipeline would make Western Europe dependent on soviet energy supplies.
