Kazakhstan is exploring the possibility of exporting oil and petroleum products to Uzbekistan, the Kazakh Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said.
The minister stated that Astana is prepared not only to transit Russian oil and gas through to Uzbekistan, but also to supply its neighbor with its own crude oil and refined petroleum products.
The matter was discussed on the sidelines of the RES 2026 Regional Environmental Summit currently underway in Astana. The two sides are also considering joint projects in the petrochemical industry and the modernization of oil refining capacity.
Uzbekistan's demand for energy resources has been steadily rising. According to the State Customs Committee, imports of oil and petroleum products surged 42.2 percent in the first quarter of 2026, reaching $449.1 million.
During the same period, gasoline imports more than doubled, totaling 428.2 million liters, while diesel fuel imports rose 38 percent to 125,500 metric tons.
Earlier, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced that Moscow and Tashkent had reached an agreement to further increase the volume of oil and gas supplies.
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