"Uzbek natural gas will be fed through the Uzbekistan-China gas pipeline," Shavkat Majitov said.

Earlier Uzbekistan said that Uzbek gas was not planned to be supplied through this pipeline.

Majitov noted that "what is meant here is Uzbek natural gas" - primarily the gas which would be extracted by Chinese companies in Uzbekistan.

He did not mention the volume of gas to be supplied through this export pipeline.

"It is too early to speak about it (export volumes). Figures are under discussion," Majitov said.

In the meantime, the director of the UzLITIneftegaz limited liability company (a design Institute of Uzbekneftegaz), Vladimir Atalyants, said that the construction of the pipeline would allow transport routes to be diversified for Uzbek natural gas supplies, "in addition to the traditional routes - northern and southern routes - in the eastern direction as well".

"Three compressor stations are expected to be built along the Uzbek section of the pipeline, of which the K 2 [compressor station No. 2] is expected to be built near the Gazli booster station in order to ensure the possibility of the Uzbek gas being fed to the pipeline," Atalyants added.

The Uzbek-China pipeline is designed transit 30bn cubic metres of natural gas from Turkmenistan to China a year.