Kazakhstan will start preliminary negotiations with Uzbekneftegaz on gasoline supplies from Kazakhstani oil refineries to Uzbekistan, Interfax reports on Thursday, December 3, with reference to the Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan Kanat Bozumbayev.

“We are interested in the markets of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan,” the minister said in an interview with the agency, answering a question about the export potential of Kazakhstan’s gasoline.

As reported, the Minister of Energy last year announced the intention of Kazakhstan to begin exporting gasoline to prevent market glut after modernizing three refineries of the country.

In October, Kazakhstan and Russia signed a protocol on amending the agreement on cooperation in the fuel and energy complex. The amendments concerned the lifting of the embargo on the supply of Kazakh gasoline to the CIS countries.

In December, Kanat Bozumbayev reported on the possible export of Kazakh gasoline to Kyrgyzstan from February 2019.