Amid a decline in fuel imports from Russia, Tajikistan has tripled the volume of fuel it receives from Central Asian nations.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, which cited reports from Reuters, Tajikistan imported approximately 34,000 tons of fuel from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan in July. This figure represents a threefold increase compared to the previous month.
The shift is attributed to fuel shortages in Russia resulting from attacks on energy infrastructure. In July, the volume of gasoline shipped from Russia to Tajikistan fell by half compared to June, dropping to 14,000 tons. Diesel supplies decreased by 2 percent to 30,000 tons, while imports of aviation fuel were halted entirely.
In response to the situation, Tajikistan has begun increasing fuel supplies from regional partners. Statistics indicate that gasoline imports from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan rose from 8,400 tons to 13,800 tons, while diesel imports surged from 2,400 tons to 17,600 tons.
On August 6, Tajikistan's Ministry of Transport announced that efforts are underway to diversify fuel supplies. Kazakhstan is being considered as a primary alternative supplier. Additionally, negotiations are ongoing with China, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Belarus.
Minister of Energy and Water Resources Daler Juma noted that cooperation with several countries has been initiated to maintain stability in the domestic market. The supply challenges have impacted prices; as of early August, the price of AI-92 gasoline in Tajikistan rose to $1.10–$1.15 per liter, while diesel prices climbed to $1.47–$1.70.
Kyrgyzstan is facing similar challenges, with the country negotiating with Uzbekistan to increase fuel supplies while exploring cooperation opportunities with Azerbaijan, Turkey, China, and Belarus. Meanwhile, Mongolia, which relies heavily on Russia for its fuel needs, has already implemented restrictions on sales.
