Bishkek: The Kyrgyz President Atambayev confirmed handing over Kyrgyz gas company Kyrgyzgas to Gazprom Russia on March 26 under the agreement both countries reached last year. This development will increase monopoly of Russia in energy sector of Central Asia.
In return for the full ownership of the Kyrgyz gas enterprise, Gazprom will pay all of the firm’s debts to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Kyrgyz authorities are confident that the handover will not hurt Kyrgyz residents economically, as they insist that Gazprom will sell gas at cheaper rates.
From April 2013, Kyrgyzgas will be handed over to Gazprom officially. This is a big achievement for Russia, say regional experts.
According to Kyrgyz media, Deputy Prime Minister Tayirbek Sarpashev said on Tuesday that Kyrgyzgaz will be transferred to Gazprom in April. It may be mentioned that Gazprom’s takeover of state-owned enterprise Kyrgyzgaz was decided in late 2012.
According to Kyrgyz authorities the gas distribution will not be interrupted in the first half of 2013, and energy supply issues will be solved within two and a half years. The Russian energy firm also has promised to upgrade the country’s gas industry over the next three to five years.
The Kyrgyz government sought the Gazprom takeover of the state-operated gas delivery enterprise due to the firm’s inability to provide a steady supply of electricity throughout the country. Parts of northern Kyrgyzstan were forced to function without gas for several days after Kazakhstan shut off the gas supply to Kyrgyzstan citing unpaid debts.
