Kazakhstan has received no official proposals from Russia regarding gas union - dep minister

ALMATY. Dec 21 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan has not yet received any details or official proposals from the Russian authorities regarding the creation of a gas union between Kazakhstan, Russia, and Uzbekistan, Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Almas Aidarov said.

"Eurasian integration is ratified by intergovernmental and interstate agreements. The establishment of a gas union has been proposed by the Russian authorities, but it has not been formalized in any way. We have not yet received any proposals from the Russian authorities or details on how it will be implemented. It's still only an idea of integrating some parts of gas trade," Aidarov told reporters on the sidelines of the Majilis session on Wednesday.

Aidarov said everything would depend on the terms offered to Kazakhstan.

"So far, there is no question of creating an individual organization or union in relation to gas. It was just an idea of how to settle issues related to gas supplies and prices. There is a shortage of gas in all countries, so Russia has come up with such proposal," he said.

Earlier Kazakh Energy Minister Bolat Akchulakov told reporters that Kazakhstan, Russia, and Uzbekistan were discussing the technical capabilities of their gas transport systems, but there was no talk of creating a union.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on November 28 that he backed Vladimir Putin's proposal to set up a trilateral Russia-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan union. Tokayev also said that Kazakhstan "needs to take a closer look at this issue" in order to "reach the desired results and agreements."

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told journalists later that Russia was planning to use the project of the tripartite gas union with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to meet their domestic needs for gas and increase their export potential.