Moldova plans to seek long-term natural gas supply contracts with several producers, including Azerbaijan, as it prepares for the next winter amid high energy prices.

Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan said the government is looking at potential suppliers including Azerbaijan, Qatar and Turkmenistan, according to newsmaker.md.

“We can prepare for next winter and try to conclude long-term contracts, fixing the price for at least part of the supplies. We will go where the gas is, find it and deliver it to Moldova - to Qatar, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan,” Tofan said.

Moldova is already negotiating medium- and long-term gas contracts with major producers, with the government seeking more predictable prices and supply conditions.

Tofan said the negotiations are expected to be difficult because Moldova hopes to secure prices below current market levels. He also stressed that the government cannot control international gas prices.

The prime minister said that Moldova had initially budgeted for gas at around €30 per megawatt-hour this year. European TTF prices, however, have exceeded €84 per MWh, equivalent to more than $1,000 per 1,000 cubic meters.

Moldova has already contracted more than 90% of the gas it expects to need for the winter, but a significant portion of those volumes is indexed to TTF prices, meaning the final cost will depend on market conditions when the gas is delivered.

The government is also considering increasing energy compensation for households during the winter, depending on available budget resources and support from external partners.