Uzbekistan Expects To Start Importing Russian Gas From March 1 - Reports

TASHKENT (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2023) Uzbekistan expects to start importing Russian gas from March 1, Uzbek news website Kun.uz reported on Thursday, citing a recent bilateral roadmap.

On Tuesday, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller and Uzbek Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamahmudov signed a roadmap for cooperation in the gas industry.

The roadmap schedules the start of gas imports from Russia to Uzbekistan for March 1, the report said. The roadmap has eight nodes outlining technical aspects for ensuring supply of gas at market price.

On Wednesday, the Uzbek Energy Ministry said that the document provided for the transit of Russian gas through the Central Asia-Center gas pipeline, through Kazakhstan's territory. Uzbekistan will retain ownership of its gas transmission system while cooperating on gas supplies with Russia.

On November 28, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with his Kazakh counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in Moscow and discussed the creation of a "triple gas union" with the participation of Uzbekistan to coordinate the transportation of Russian gas through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the idea of the union implies coordination of actions in transport logistics and satisfaction of domestic needs.

In December, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan have great potential for cooperation in the gas sphere, including the supply and processing of gas. At the same time, Mirzamahmudov, Uzbekistan's energy minister, said that the republic was intending to import gas and electricity from neighboring countries based on commercial contracts, not through any alliance or union.