Uzbekistan is prepared to supply Kyrgyzstan with approximately 20,000 metric tons of refined petroleum products per month, processing imported crude oil at its domestic refineries to meet the demand. Kyrgyz news outlet 24.kg reported the development, citing Adylbek Kasymaliev, First Deputy Chairman of the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers.
Kasymaliev warned that domestic gasoline and diesel prices will undergo a gradual upward adjustment. With Kyrgyzstan relying on imports for over 90% of its fuel and lubricants, the domestic market remains highly vulnerable to global price fluctuations, geopolitical instability, and rising transit fees.
"We are managing to freeze prices for the time being, but a incremental increase is inevitable," Kasymaliev stated.
He noted that securing fuel shipments from Russia has become significantly more complex than in the past, prompting the government to negotiate with multiple nations in search of alternative supply lines.
Kyrgyzstan currently receives fuel from Belarus and recently integrated its first Chinese batch consisting of five fuel tankers. The Cabinet is now evaluating options to transition these deliveries to rail transport, as over-the-road trucking continues to drive up logistics costs. Negotiations with Uzbekistan remain a central pillar of this diversification strategy.
Similar supply routes are being explored with Turkey and European nations. However, these alternatives require transit across the Caspian Sea and through multiple countries, which will inevitably drive up fuel prices.
He noted that the government currently subsidizes diesel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and Ai-92 gasoline. As a result, domestic fuel prices remain roughly 20 to 25 som ($0.23 to $0.29) cheaper than in neighboring Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. However, state coffers cannot indefinitely absorb rising costs, as maintaining these subsidies requires billions of som.
In response to the fiscal strain, the Kyrgyz government imposed a total ban on the export of oil and petroleum products in July, while simultaneously streamlining fuel import procedures. Previously, the export ban only targeted destinations outside the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) customs zone; the new restriction now applies globally across all borders.
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