Kyrgyzstan expects fuel from China, Belarus to offset Russian supply crunch
Kyrgyzstan is awaiting fuel deliveries from China and Belarus to help it deal with the knock-on effects from the shortage of fuel in its main supplier Russia.
Local media cited Deputy Prime Minister Daniyar Amangeldiev as saying that Kyrgyzstan had signed contracts with Belarus for three metric tons of jet fuel and 10 tons of diesel, and with China for another three tons of jet fuel.
Last week, Kyrgyzstan, which sources more than 90% of its fuel from Russia, appealed to Kazakhstan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan for assistance in ensuring stable fuel supplies.
Russia is experiencing fuel shortages following a Ukrainian drone campaign against the country's refineries. Russian officials have said they are considering a ban on diesel exports.
On Monday, Ukraine struck Russia's largest oil refinery at Omsk, located deep in Siberia, around 2,700 km (1,700 miles) from Ukrainian-held territory and close to Russia's border with Kazakhstan.
Separately, Kazakhstan's Deputy Energy Minister Kayirkhan Tutkyshbayev told reporters on Tuesday that his country would consider its response to the Kyrgyz request.
"We are currently reviewing it. However, all decisions will be made with national interests and the domestic supply-demand balance in mind," Tutkyshbayev said.
The deputy minister did not specify how much fuel might be involved or when a decision would be taken.
According to Energy Information Administration data, Kazakhstan produces nearly 2 million barrels of oil per day, making it the largest producer in Central Asia. It also has several large oil refineries.
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