Russia’s natural gas exports through Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan is set to increase to 7.3 billion cubic metres (bcm) this year from 5.6 bcm in 2024, the Interfax news agency reported on Friday, citing Kazakhstan deputy energy minister Alibek Zhamauov.

Russia started supplying gas to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan in October 2023 amid a collapse in Russia’s gas exports to Europe, once its key sale market.

Moscow’s trade and political ties with Europe frayed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia has since forged close ties with Asia, notably with China, the world’s second-largest oil and gas consumer behind the U.S.

Zhamauov said that Russia’s gas supplies to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan could increase to 11 bcm per year in future, Interfax reported, compared with about 15 bcm of gas Russia supplied to Europe via Ukraine in 2024.
Source: Reuters