Uzbekistan A Hurdle To Kyrgyz Electricity Imports

Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev says Turkmenistan is prepared to provide his country with up to 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity.

But Atambaev told reporters that Uzbekistan must first agree to resume transit of Turkmen electricity to Kyrgyzstan.

The Kyrgyz leader spoke after talks with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov in Ashgabat on November 11.

He began an official visit to the Turkmen capital on November 10.

Last week, Atambaev was in Kazakhstan to discuss energy cooperation with the larger neighbor, which has agreed to provide Kyrgyzstan with up to 1,400 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.

Turkmenistan is a top natural-gas exporter and Kazakhstan is the second-biggest oil producer in the former Soviet Union, after Russia.

Kyrgyzstan has few energy resources.

Based on reporting by AKIpress and Interfax