Uzbekistan to supply 750 mln cu m of gas to Kyrgyzstan in 2006

MOSCOW, November 16 (RIA Novosti) - Uzbekistan will supply 750 million cu m of natural gas to Kyrgyzstan in 2006, Chief Executive of Kyrgyzgas Igor Chudinov said Wednesday at a meeting with Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

The presidential press service said a contract on gas supplies would be signed in Tashkent next week.

Of the total supply, 100 million cu m will go to consumers in southern Kyrgyzstan and 650 million to the northern regions.

In order to pre-pay the first few months of gas supply, state-owned company Kyrgyzgas will obtain a loan guaranteed by the Kyrgyz Finance Ministry.

The press service said Bakiyev had demanded that the company work transparently and ensure punctual payments for the use of gas, while providing uninterrupted gas supply to Kyrgyz consumers.