Russia to begin natural gas supplies to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan 

Russia is beginning natural gas deliveries to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on 5 October. 

“Technically, we are already doing that [test deliveries]. In October we are going to reach the full agreed volume of shipments … We are going to supply 3bn cu.m. to each [annually], an amount that we can increase later,” Putin said according to the official Russian TASS news agency. 

Speaking at a Valdai Discussion Club meeting in Sochi, Putin said Russia was asked by the Kazakh and Uzbek governments for natural gas deliveries because they were “struggling” without them.  

The corresponding gas deals were signed over the summer. 

Putin added that the shipments had become possible after the required technical upgrades had been done to the Soviet-era pipeline network, which in the past was used for delivering natural gas from Central Asia to Russia.  

Since losing European customers for its natural gas, following its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has turned its eyes to Central Asia, proposing a Gas Alliance with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. 

Uzbekistan has its own large reserves of natural gas, but a limited production capacity and a poor domestic distribution infrastructure to meet domestic needs. The country also has gas supply contracts with China to honour.  

Kazakhstan too, despite extensive energy reserves, is unable to deliver gas to some parts of the country because of a limited internal distribution network.  

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