BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 19
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
Uzbekistan exported 250 million cubic meters of gas to Tajikistan from January through November 2020, Trend reports referring to Tajik media.
According to the statistics department of Tajikistan, Tajikistan allocated more than $28.5 million for the purchase of Uzbek blue fuel in 2020, which is 60.7 percent more than in 2019.
At the beginning of 2020, representatives of the gas distribution company of Tajikistan announced that they plan to import about 200 million cubic meters of Uzbek gas in 2020. However, following the results of 11 months of last year, the Uzbek side announced the export of 250 million cubic meters of gas to Tajikistan.
Earlier it was reported that supplies of Uzbek natural gas to the Sughd region of Tajikistan have resumed after a ten-year hiatus.
It is noted that the main consumer of Uzbek gas is the Tajik Aluminum Company.
The supply of Uzbek gas to the population is not yet considered for security reasons, as the infrastructure needs major repairs. Uzbekistan sells every 1,000 cubic meters of natural gas to Tajikistan for $120, which is about $30 less than its cost on the world market.
In general, the trade turnover between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the past year decreased for the first time in the past 4 years amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the volume of bilateral Tajik-Uzbek trade turnover amounted to just over $333 million, which is 7.8 percent less than in 2019.
It was noted that more than $83.5 million in this amount accounts for the export of Tajik products, and over $250 million - for the import of Uzbek goods.
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