"We have received a notification that Uzbekistan is withdrawing from the parallel work from 15 October," he said at a Kazakh government meeting.

Meanwhile, according to Kanat Bozumbayev, the energy systems of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan will continue working in parallel mode, Interfax reported.

"Undoubtedly, from the point of view of stability and security, we [Kazakhstan] and Kyrgyzstan should withdraw from the parallel work, but understanding that Kyrgyzstan may be in a very difficult situation- limiting consumption as much as 70 per cent, Kazakhstan will not withdraw from the parallel work of energy systems with the neighbouring country," Kanat Bozumbayev said, calling that "a goodwill gesture".

For his part, the Kazakh minister of energy and mineral resources, Sauat Mynbayev, noted at the government session that "in fact, by remaining in the parallel work, we are doing an incredible favour for Kyrgyzstan’s people."