Kyrgyzstan will open talks on natural gas supply for 2009 with Uzbekistan in Tashkent on December 10, the news agency “24.kg” learnt from the Kyrgyzgas Company.
Some time earlier the newly-appointed Energy Minister, Ilias Davydov, said that preliminary talks with the official Tashkent are already ongoing. “Phone negotiations are held since December 1,” the minister said at one of the coordination meetings at the White House.
The gas price in winter 2008/2009 is expected to reach $300 per 1,000m
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or even more, head of the Bishkek gas department of the Kyrgyzgas Company, Alisher Beishenaliev, told reporters recently.
The Kyrgyzgas Director, Salamat Aitikeev, is positive about the upcoming talks and hopes that the price will be reduced. However, the experts are more economical with the optimism predicting a significant rise in gas price.
In 2007/2008 the Uzbek gas cost Kyrgyzstan $145 per 1,000m
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.
