OREANDA-NEWS Russia is considering the possibility of increasing gas supplies to Kazakhstan through the Central Asia - Center system, the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation reported.

"The Russian Federation is successfully implementing gas transit through the Central Asia - Center system and is considering the possibility of increasing gas supplies to Kazakhstan," the message says.

In addition, according to the agency, Russia supplies oil products to Kazakhstan in accordance with indicative balances and is ready to increase them for certain categories.

The Ministry also noted the joint development of offshore fields in the Caspian Sea as one of the important areas of bilateral cooperation.

Also earlier, in June, Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Board, and Roman Sklyar, First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, signed an action plan for the preparation of facilities for the Central Asia - Center IV main gas pipeline to increase gas transportation from Russia to Uzbekistan.

Gazprom began supplying gas to Uzbekistan through the territory of Kazakhstan at the end of last year to cover part of the shortage of "blue fuel" in the republic in the autumn-winter period. Deliveries are carried out along a specially designated route based on the Central Asia - Center main gas pipeline system. The contract was concluded for two years, the volume of purchases is 9 million cubic meters per day - about 2.8 billion cubic meters per year.