Isolated by the war in Ukraine, Russia is moving ever closer to its Central Asian neighbors. New illustration this Saturday, October 7th, with this ceremony where the Russian, Kazakh and Uzbek heads of state come together to celebrate the delivery of Russian gas to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan.
Published on: July 10, 2023 – 8:00 p.m
2 minutes
“Permission granted”. Surrounded by his Uzbek counterparts Chavkat Mirzioïev and the Kazakh Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, with whom he holds hands, Vladimir Putin himself gives the starting signal from his residence near Moscow: the pipes are open and Russian gas is flowing towards a new destination : Central Asia.
“Our gas will reach Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan, where part of the fuel will also be delivered,” the Russian president said. “This is the first time that gas produced in Russia will be transported to Central Asia. This will help ensure the energy security of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and therefore the entire region. »
“We are open to further cooperation,” emphasized Vladimir Putin. These are “important and significant in the energy sector in general, not just in connection with gas delivery,” he assured.
Read alsoRussia launches Arctic LNG 2 project to transport liquefied natural gas across the Arctic
Moscow’s continued influence in the former Soviet space
With this agreement, Vladimir Putin will also find new sales opportunities for his significant gas reserves. According to official figures, Ukraine’s gas exports have fallen by more than 25% since the invasion in February 2022. In particular the European Union, formerly the largest buyer of Russian gas drastically reduced its imports last year.
It also allows him to demonstrate Moscow’s continued influence in the former Soviet space. Such an agreement may be surprising considering that Uzbekistan itself is one of the world’s largest natural gas producers.
Tashkent and Astana have tried in recent months to distance themselves from Moscow and diversify their economic partners. However, there are some offers that clearly cannot be refused.