Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during a visit to Samarkand on 14 April that a "gas union" between Uzbekistan, Russia and Kazakhstan would strengthen energy security.

According to him, Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, including at the level of presidents, have actively advanced in the discussion of this large-scale project. He noted that the project will definitely strengthen energy security, TASS reports.

Lavrov noted that there will be benefits for everyone since there are both gas suppliers and those who are interested in this gas, when the parties agree on both transit conditions and price conditions and if everyone is satisfied with everything, then everyone wins.

On 28 November, Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the creation of a "triple gas alliance" between Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

At the same time, Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov said that Uzbekistan intends to import gas on the basis of commercial contracts. He stressed that the country does not need to participate in "any kind of alliance or union" to buy gas.

On 25 January, it became known that Gazprom could start delivering gas in transit through Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan, which is experiencing a shortage, via the Central Asia-Center pipeline. Tashkent assures that there is no talk of transferring the Uzbek gas transmission system to Gazprom.