Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Daniyar Usenov (file photo) (RFE/RL)
December 14, 2006 -- Kyrgyz First Deputy Prime Minister Daniyar Usenov today said an agreement had been reached on how much neighboring Uzbekistan will charge his country for natural gas supplies next year.
Addressing a news briefing in Bishkek, Usenov said that under a deal reached in Tashkent on December 13 Uzbekistan will sell Kyrgyzstan its gas at a price of $100 per 1,000 cubic meters starting January 1.
Kyrgyzstan currently pays $55 per 1,000 cubic meters of Uzbek gas.
To compensate for the hike, Usenov said Kyrgyzstan would initially charge Uzbekistan 1.1 cent ($0.011) for each kilowatt-hour (KwH) of electricity and progressively raise the price to a targeted two cents by the end of 2007.
Uzbekistan this year paid one cent ($0.01) per KwH of Kyrgyz electricity.
Under the agreement, Kyrgyzstan will buy 850 million cubic meters of gas from Uzbekistan.
(24.kg, AKIpress)
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