Kyrgyzstan asks neighbours for fuel aid

BISHKEK: Kyrgyzstan asked Kazakhstan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to help ensure stable fuel supplies late on Wednesday, amid concerns over potential shortages linked to Ukraine’s drone strikes against Russian oil refineries.

The Central Asian country of 7 million people imports more than 90% of its gasoline from Russia, which is itself facing acute fuel shortages following Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that Moscow may ban diesel exports, acknowledging mounting domestic shortages.

“To ensure sustainable fuel supplies, official requests have been sent to the relevant government authorities of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan”, Kyrgyzstan’s energy ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said fuel stocks remain sufficient and supplies are proceeding as planned. In June, Kyrgyz authorities introduced price controls on some retail fuel sales.

Separately, Kyrgyzstan’s oil traders’ association said some filling stations were experiencing shortages of AI-95 gasoline, although stocks of the more widely used AI-92 grade were sufficient for 30 to 45 days. Diesel fuel, critical for the harvest season, remains available.

Like other Central Asian countries, whose economies are closely intertwined with Russia’s, Kyrgyzstan has suffered periodic inflationary shocks since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, while also becoming a principal clearinghouse for trade with Russia redirected by Western sanctions.