The head (Başkan) of Gagauzia, an autonomous region of Moldova, said that during her trip to Russia she negotiated cheap gas for Gagauzia directly from Gazprom and "salary bonuses" for residents of the region. Evghenia Guțul's words are quoted by the Newsmaker.


After returning to Moldova, she said at a briefing that she discussed these issues during meetings in Russia, in particular with President Putin. Guțul noted that the Moldovan government had previously not allowed a gas deal with Turkey, so they turned to Russia for help.


She also said that they had found "sponsors" in Russia who were ready to transfer additional funds to the Gagauz budget, but they were confiscated by Chisinau's order. Because of this, she asked Russia to open accounts for Gagauz residents to pay bonuses.


However, it is not known how this could work in practice, as the "Mir" system is not available in Moldova.