Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Board of the Russian company Gazprom, discussed the implementation of new joint projects in the gas industry with the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in Astana, Centralasianlight.org reported.

“President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discussed with Alexei Miller, Chairman of the Board of Gazprom, priority areas for cooperation in the energy sector. During the meeting, issues of implementing new joint projects in the gas industry were also considered, the press service of the President of Kazakhstan reported.

Joint implementation plans include gasification of some regions of Kazakhstan and provision of sufficient gas to Kazakhstan, as well as the transit of Russian blue fuel to East and South Asia.

In February 2023, it was announced that the Kazakh company QazaqGaz and the Russian Gazprom were considering the possible gasification of the eastern regions of Kazakhstan.

Earlier, Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan Bolat Akchulakov said that the ministry is considering two options for gasification of the eastern regions. The first of them is the construction of a gas pipeline along the route Kostanay - Astana - Pavlodar - Semey - Ust-Kamenogorsk, which will require significant investments and an increase in gas tariffs for consumers.

The second option is to import gas from Russia as part of the roadmap for cooperation in the gas industry between the two countries. In accordance with it, the issue of building an international gas pipeline Russia - Kazakhstan - China is being worked out.

Gazprom has already signed an agreement on the supply of Russian gas to Uzbekistan. In the winter period of 2023, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan experienced a shortage of energy resources, and in the first place, natural gas.