Mirzamakhmudov, Miller discuss the supply of Russian gas to Uzbekistan

A working meeting was held between the Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov and the Board Chairman of “Gazprom” JSC Alexei Miller.

According to the ministerial information, the parties discussed the progress and prospects of cooperation, including the issue of supplying Russian gas to Uzbekistan.

Other details of the meeting were not disclosed. “Gazprom” official information also repeats the same information.

It should be recalled that in January 2023, the “roadmap” on cooperation in the gas sector was signed between the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan and “Gazprom”. The agreement provided for the necessary technical measures to start supplying gas from Russia to Uzbekistan at the market price through the “Central Asia – Central” pipeline in a reversive order starting from March of this year, but the discussions are still ongoing.

The Russian company signed a similar contract with Kazakhstan almost at the same time.

Earlier, in November 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to establish a tripartite gas union together with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. But Uzbekistan stated that if gas is purchased from Russia, it will be in the form of a sales contract, not on the basis of an alliance-style agreement.

According to reports leaked to the media, the Russian side wanted to seize ownership of the gas transmission networks of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan within the framework of the gas union, but both countries rejected it.

Last week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said that the three countries are working out the parameters of the gas union project.