Uzbekistan Rejects Gas Union with Kazakhstan and Russia, 'National Interests at Risk'

Uzbekistan's authorities have abandoned the idea of creating a tripartite gas union with Russia and Kazakhstan, according to a report by Reuters.

Uzbekistan's Minister of Energy and Deputy Prime Minister Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov stated that Tashkent will not agree to political conditions that jeopardize its national interests.

Last month, Russia announced it was discussing the idea of forming a gas union with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to facilitate gas transit between the three countries as well as to others, including China.

“Even if a gas agreement is concluded with Russia, it does not mean a union,” said Mirzamakhmudov.

He noted that negotiations are taking place regarding Russian gas supplies through a pipeline that traverses Kazakhstan, but it will be a “technical agreement,” not a union.

“If we are importing gas from another country, we are collaborating solely based on a commercial sales agreement. We will never agree to political conditions for gas. In other words, we will only receive the gas contract offered to us if we agree to it; otherwise, we won’t,” the minister's statements are cited by the agency.

Uzbekistan is partially dependent on gas imported from other countries. In recent days, there has been a gas shortage in the country, including in the capital, Tashkent, due to increased consumption caused by cold weather.

Mirzamakhmudov reported that the cold weather has forced the Uzbek authorities to suspend daily exports of 6 million cubic meters of gas to China.