Tajikistan will export Uzbekistan’s gas at a price of US$145 per 1,000 cubic meters in 2008, up by US$45 compared to the price in the outgoing year.

The state-run gas companies Tajikgaz and Uztransgaz signed a new agreement after long talks, Tajikgaz spokesman Amriddin Niezmamadov told Itar-Tass on Saturday.

Uzbekistan will export 650 million cubic meters of gas to Tajikistan with partial prepayment. Uzbek gas suppliers expressed readiness to increase exports if necessary.

Uzbekistan remains Tajikistan’s key gas supplier. Tajikistan’s own gas production made up only 14.5 million cubic meters of gas in January-October.

Uztransgaz and Kyrgyzstan’s state-owned Kyrgyzgaz also coordinated gas export tariffs, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Igor Chudinov said on the local radio station Azattyk. The new gas export price will total US$140-145 per 1,000 cubic meters. Uzbekistan guarantees to supply 950 million cubic meters of gas.

Over the past three years Uzbek gas for Kyrgyzstan increased from US$42 to US$100 in 2007.

On Friday, the talks on gas supply to Kazakhstan’s southern regions ended in Tashkent.

According to KazTransGaz, Uzbekistan’s gas supplies will meet demand of the population and industrial enterprises in the republic’s southern regions and Almaty. The Kazakh government-run company did not disclose the gas export price.

On Thursday, Russia’s gas monopoly Gazprom finalized a gas purchase price and transportation tariffs with Uzbekistan for 2008. The purchase price is adjusted to the regional market conditions.

Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said: “Concrete parameters of the contracts are a commercial secret.” “I can only say that Gazprom buys gas in Central Asian countries at comparable terms.”

Uzbekistan along with Turkmenistan is the largest producer of natural gas in Central Asia. Uzbekistan’s gas output makes up over 62 billion cubic meters a year. It exports 12.6 billion cubic meters, including 9 billion cubic meters to Russia.