The repercussions of Russia’s gasoline shortage crisis have begun to appear in Central Asian countries, a number of which depend heavily on Russian imports to meet their fuel needs, in light of limited local production.
In this context, it was announced Kyrgyzstan It asked its regional partners, including… Kazakhstan andAzerbaijan andTurkmenistanHelp enhance energy security and ensure stable supplies of petroleum products to the local market, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Energy.
As for UzbekistanGasoline prices have increased significantly, while they have tightened Kazakhstan Control its borders to limit fuel smuggling abroad, in an attempt to maintain domestic supplies.
These developments reflect the continued dependence of Central Asian economies on Russian fuel, despite the growth of Chinese investments in the region in recent years.
Russia is facing a gasoline shortage after a number of its refineries were attacked by Ukrainian drones, which led to a decline in production and the disruption of part of the supplies. By the end of June, about 90% of Russian regions had witnessed various forms of fuel rationing or distribution disruptions, according to media reports and official statements.
Moscow also imposed a ban on the export of gasoline as of April 1, with the exception of shipments supplied within the framework of bilateral governmental agreements, which include some Central Asian countries.
In Uzbekistan, the price of gasoline rose AI-92It is the most widely used in the country, by 11.8% since the beginning of June, reaching 13.9 million soums per ton, while the quantities offered daily on the commodity exchange decreased by about 50% compared to the previous week.
For its part, Kyrgyzstan confirmed that its current fuel stocks are still sufficient, noting that requesting additional quantities comes as a precautionary measure to enhance the security of supplies, in conjunction with imposing a ceiling on fuel prices for consumers.
In Kazakhstan, the authorities had previously imposed a ban on the export of some petroleum products and light distillates via railway, in addition to new restrictions on border crossings, allowing vehicles to cross the border only once a day.
On June 20, Prime Minister Olgas Bektinov directed the relevant authorities to take all necessary measures to avoid any fuel shortages, including tightening border controls and strengthening follow-up procedures.
