Uzbekistan abandoned the "tripartite gas union" with Russia and Kazakhstan, previously proposed by the Kremlin. Reuters writes about it.
Uzbek Energy Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov said that Tashkent would not agree to political conditions that would jeopardize its national interests: “If we import gas from another country, we cooperate only on the basis of a commercial sale and purchase agreement. We will never agree to political conditions in exchange for gas. In short, we will receive the gas contract offered to us only if we agree to it, otherwise not.”
At the same time, he noted that a gas agreement with Russia could still be concluded, but "an agreement does not mean an alliance." According to Mirzamakhmudov, Uzbekistan has been negotiating the supply of Russian gas through Kazakhstan, but this is not about an alliance, but about a technical contract.
The possible emergence of a "triple gas union" became known on November 28. The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, spoke about this initiative at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. He stressed that it comes from Vladimir Putin. This was confirmed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.