Kyrgyz delegation again heads to Uzbekistan for gas talks

The Kyrgyz delegation will be led by the minister of industry, energy and fuel resources, Ilyas Davydov; and the managing director of the Kyrgyzgaz joint-stock company, Salamat Aytikeyev.

Davydov earlier told the AKIpress news agency that Uzbekistan was insisting on a price of US$300 for 1,000 cubic meters of gas, which will be supplied to Kyrgyzstan in 2009, whereas in 2008 the price was US$145 per 1,000 cubic meters.

Davydov said that Kyrgyzstan could not afford to pay US$300 per 1,000 cubic meters. "Therefore, we will prove with calculations and facts that we cannot pay this price and will ask that a price of US$145 per 1,000 cubic meters be retained for us," he said.