Kyrgyz Prime Minister to discuss gas supplies in Uzbekistan
Usyonov is expected to meet with Uzbek President Islam Karimov and Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev and take part in a meeting of the joint Kyrgyz-Uzbek intergovernmental commission during his stay in the Uzbek capital.
"The Kyrgyz delegation will take part in discussions on a range of economic issues. A commission's meeting on the delimitation and demarcation of the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border will take place," the spokesman said.
The press service of the Kyrgyzgas company said its head, Salamat Aytikeyev, and Kyrgyz Energy Minister Ilias Davydov have been in Tashkent since Friday.
On September 24, Uzbekistan, which is the sole gas exporter to the former Soviet republic, shut off supplies to southern Kyrgyzstan and decreased deliveries to the north of the country over debts of $18.8 million.
At talks in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent, the two sides agreed that Kyrgyzstan, which has paid off $4.6 million of its debt, would make 100% advance payments three times a month.
In mid-October, gas supplies from Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan were resumed.
Kyrgyzstan pays $240 per 1,000 cubic meters of Uzbek gas this year. Last year, the figure stood at $145 per 1,000 cubic meters.
Uzbekistan produces more than 62 billion cubic meters of gas annually and exports some 12.6 billion cubic meters, Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.
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