Kyrgyzstan Mulls Joining Central Asia-China Gas Pipeline

Kyrgyzstan aims to join a natural gas pipeline network linking Central Asia with China in order to reduce its reliance on its immediate neighbours for energy and to profit from transit fees.

Reuters has said in a news report that the Central Asian nation has agreed with Beijing to discuss the country's inclusion in the 2,000-km pipeline network, launched in 2009, which pumps Turkmen gas to China through the former Soviet states of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

"Kyrgyzstan is very interested in having a fourth spur of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline pass through our territory," Kyrgyz Prime Minister Zhantoro Satybaldiyev said on Tuesday during a visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, the news agency reported.

The pipeline is expected to carry 9 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas this year. China National Petroleum Corp has said it plans eventually to increase the pipeline's annual capacity to 60 bcm.

Uzbekistan has started pumping small volumes along the route this year and Kazakhstan also plans to send its gas eastward, Reuters said.