Russia confirms its standing as a trustworthy gas supplier and is willing to cooperate in this area, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a ceremony marking the start of Russian gas shipments to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan's border, TASS reports.
The president stated that "the implementation of this project will have obvious benefits for all three states." "Uzbekistan will receive an additional source of energy, ensuring continuous supply of heat and electricity to households and socially significant facilities. Kazakhstan will be able to tackle the issue of gasification in its northern and eastern areas; Gazprom is already working on acceptable gas delivery routes and criteria. Russia confirms its status as a reliable supplier of natural gas, and we are open to further cooperation. We will strive to meet the needs of all our Kazakh and Uzbek friends, partners, and other consumers interested in this type of fuel."
In general, according to Putin, the project is of great importance from the point of view of economic development and ensuring energy security not only of the three countries, but also of the entire large region.
