The Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu, declared on Tuesday that the reason for the increase of the natural gas price is a speculation on the market, made by the Russian Federation, through Gazprom and showed that he estimates a decrease in the price of natural gas, after this winter.

“We all know the reason for the rise in gas prices. It is a speculation on the market made by the Russian Federation, through Gazprom, gas supplies through Ukraine have been reduced. We estimate that, after the winter period, with the start of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, natural gas prices will fall,” said the minister, noting that this can be seen on European stock exchanges, where prices are halved for spring, summer and even next winter.

Virgil Popescu also pointed out that SMEs, through the law adopted in the Parliament, have a state aid scheme, through which they receive a subsidy for both electricity and natural gas, in order to get through this winter.

Regarding the liberalization of the price of natural gas and electricity, announced a year and a little earlier, Minister Virgil Popescu said that it has absolutely nothing to do with the increase in prices.