Adilbek Kasimaliyev, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan and Head of the Presidential Administration, announced in a podcast for the Kabar national news agency that Uzbekistan has the capacity to supply Kyrgyzstan with up to 20,000 tons of fuel per month.

According to him, the Kyrgyz side has held negotiations with Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov on this matter. Kyrgyzstan, which imports over 90% of its fuel, is seeking new suppliers due to rising global prices and reduced previous purchasing opportunities from Russia.

"We also held negotiations with the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan. They have the capacity to supply more than 20,000 tons of fuel per month," Kasimaliyev said.

He noted that Kyrgyzstan is also in talks with Russia, Belarus, China, Azerbaijan, European countries, and Turkey. Belarus has already provided assistance, and the first five tanker trucks with oil products have arrived from China, but railway transportation is needed to increase volumes.

Kasimaliyev emphasized that supplies from Europe and Turkey are hindered by transit difficulties, and both the prices of oil products and transportation costs have risen.

The Kyrgyz government is subsidizing diesel fuel, autogas, and Ai-92 gasoline to curb sharp price increases, but Kasimaliyev warned that prices will still gradually rise. Currently, diesel and Ai-92 in Kyrgyzstan are 20-25 soms cheaper than in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, with the difference covered by the state budget.

Earlier in July, it was reported that Kyrgyzstan had appealed to Uzbekistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and other countries to maintain supply stability. Gasoline imports in January-April fell by nearly 20%, with Russia remaining the main supplier.

In Uzbekistan, fuel imports sharply declined in June: gasoline imports were a third less than in May, diesel nearly 19 times less, and kerosene 12.5 times less. Deputy Energy Minister Umid Mamadaminov stated that domestic production of oil products would exceed 1.2 million tons, with imports accounting for 600-700 thousand tons.

Source: www.gazeta.uz