Uzbekistan to buy 2.8 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually

Uzbekistan will begin importing nine million cubic meters of Russian natural gas per day from 1 October. The energy ministry of the Central Asian country announced the agreement with Russian gas company Gazprom today. The announced volume is equivalent to approximately 2.8 billion cubic meters per year. Gas imports will help cover shortages during the cold season.

The agreement runs for two years, the ministry said. It did not disclose the price at which it will buy the gas. Gazprom will deliver the commodity through the Central Asia-Center pipeline system, which was designed to transport gas from Central Asia westward.

Uzbekistan, formerly a gas exporter, has faced energy shortages in recent years. The problem was particularly evident last winter, as a result of extremely cold weather and supply disruptions from Turkmenistan.