Putin says Russia to up gas deliveries to Uzbekistan

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Monday that Moscow would sharply increase gas deliveries to Uzbekistan during a visit to the landlocked former Soviet republic.

Putin has met several times with his Central Asian counterpart since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, as Europe, Turkey and China are also vying for influence in a region Moscow considers in its sphere of influence.

Russia, a major fossil fuel producer, has important energy projects with neighbours in the region as they face energy shortfalls despite having their own gas and oil resources.

During a meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent, Putin said “work is under way” to increase gas volumes to Uzbekistan to 11 billion cubic metres next year.

Launched in 2023, Russia gas deliveries transiting via a pipeline that crosses Kazakhstan, which came online during the Soviet era, are due to reach 3.8 billion cubic metres this year.

Hit by Western sanctions, Moscow has had to find new business for its oil and gas.

Russia and Uzbekistan also reiterated their intention to build nuclear power plants with the involvement of Russian firm Rosatom, the two sides said.

Similar discussions are under way with Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.