Kazakhstan declares readiness to expand transit capacity for Russian gas to Uzbekistan

The development was disclosed by the Kazakh Minister of Energy, Yerlan Akkenzhenov, according to reporting by the TASS news agency.

The Kazakh energy minister confirmed that Kazakhstan possesses the technical capacity to facilitate the increased transit of Russian gas southward into Uzbekistan. However, achieving the higher supply volumes will require specific upgrades to the regional transport infrastructure.

Akkenzhenov noted that everything is prepared on the Kazakh side to handle the extra load, adding that the Russian side is currently holding independent, bilateral negotiations with Uzbekistan to finalize the arrangements. As the transit nation, Kazakhstan remains fully prepared to secure the logistics.

The proposed target of 11 billion cubic meters represents an increase of nearly 70%, or roughly 4,500 million cubic meters, compared to the total volume of Russian gas delivered to the republic in 2025.

Infrastructure expansion and high-level talks

The regional negotiations were also highlighted by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). Novak stated that Moscow is engaged in ongoing talks and project assessments with both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. These efforts focus on reconstructing and expanding the legacy pipeline infrastructure originally established during the Soviet era to unlock additional supply capacities for both Central Asian nations.

On the sidelines of the SPIEF 2026 summit, Uzbekistan's Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjayev held targeted working meetings with both Novak and Gazprom Chairman Alexei Miller. The delegations reviewed comprehensive fuel dynamics, including the supply of crude oil and refined petroleum products like motor gasoline and aviation fuel destined for Uzbek refineries. Beyond oil and gas cooperation, the officials dedicated significant attention to the ongoing project to construct Uzbekistan’s first integrated nuclear power plant unit.

These expansion plans follow shifting trade figures recorded over the past year. According to data from the National Statistics Committee, Uzbekistan's total gas imports from Russia and Turkmenistan experienced a minor 1.2% decline in monetary terms during 2025, dropping to $1.65 billion. Despite the value contraction, the physical volume of Russian gas deliveries alone rose by 14.89% over the course of last year, growing from 5,640 million to 6,480 million cubic meters.