Uzbekistan to increase gas exports

TASHKENT, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan's state-owned company Uzbekneftegaz said on Friday that it will export 15 billion cubic meters of gas this year, a 15-percent increase from 2018.

China, Russia and Kazakhstan are major importers of Uzbek gas, according to Uzbekneftegaz Chairman Bahodirjon Sidikov.

"With the availability of resources, we have the opportunity to talk with our partners to increase supplies," he was quoted as saying by local media.

The figures revealed by Sidikov were confidential information for decades in the mineral-rich Central Asian state.

Uzbekistan's annual gas production stands around 61 billion cubic meters, of which 39 billion cubic meters are consumed domestically.