For Vladimir Putin, the purpose to attain is to retain Tashkent from looking for the partners in the West.
Photo: Dmitry Azarov
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Uzbek Gas to Have Anti-U.S. Prices
Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrives in Uzbekistan today, September 1, 2008. Moscow is concerned about the rapprochement of Tashkent and the West that gained momentum after the war in Georgia, and Putin faces a truly comprehensive task during this visit. He will attempt to win back Uzbekistan and obtain firm guarantees that the latter won’t host the U.S. bases. The sources say Moscow will offer European prices for Uzbek gas in return.
This visit of Vladimir Putin to Uzbekistan will hardly be easy. The past week’s get-together of Russia’s Vice Premier Sergei Ivanov and Uzbek First Vice Premier Rustam Azimov showed that the parties are unable to agree on a raft of issues. Uzbekistan, for instance, has abandoned initial plans to make private certain hydroelectric power stations that are of interest to Inter RAO UES. What’s more, the decision to set up a venture of Russia’s Stroitransgaz and Mubarek GPZ hasn’t been taken.
The political background of these difficulties is evident. Uzbekistan apparently endeavors to revive ties with the West broken in the wake of the Andizhan events. The process accelerated after the war in Georgia, and today’s purpose of Vladimir Putin is to hold back Tashkent, halting its quest for the Western partners. The sources say Moscow will offer long-term contract for buying all gas of Uzbekistan at the European prices.
Uzbekistan produces 60 billion cu meters of gas a year, selling to Gazprom 7 billion cu meters to 8 billion cu meters of that amount and suffering from the fuel shortage on domestic market. Russia paid $130/ths cu meters in the first half-year, but the price went up to $160/ths cu meters in the second half.
Another target that Putin is to attain in Uzbekistan is to persuade President Islam Karimov to agree to construction of a new pipeline to Russia, which will boost annual capacity of Central Asia-Center facilities from 45 billion cu meters to between 80 billion cu meters and 90 billion cu meters.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 01, 2008
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