In the next autumn-winter heating season, the technical infrastructure for gas transit will be ready.

Kazakhstan’s minister of energy, Almasadam Satkaliyev, announced the country’s readiness to ensure the transit of Russian gas to Uzbekistan using the existing Soviet-era pipeline that runs through its territory.

 “Uzbekistan and Gazprom continue negotiations on the volume and price of gas. Kazakhstan has declared that it is ready to ensure technical readiness for gas transit through our territory. As soon as these negotiations are completed, we will be ready to provide our infrastructure,” the Kazakh official said during a speech in the country’s parliament.

Almasadam Satkaliyev noted that Kazakhstan is interested in this project due to receiving additional funds from the transit and increasing the reliability of energy supply in Central Asia. The technical infrastructure for transit will be available "in the autumn-winter season next year."

In November 2022, Russia proposed the creation of a "gas union" with the participation of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. And in January 2023, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan sign a cooperation roadmap with Gazprom. Among its goals, the coordination of gas transit and its supplies to support Central Asian infrastructure as well as other markets like China.