ST. PETERSBURG, November 1. /TASS/. Gazprom is considering new routes and the Bukhara-Ural gas pipeline to increase supplies to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the company’s CEO Alexey Miller, during the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum.

"We know that taking into account the long border - many regions of Kazakhstan border directly the regions of Russia - and of course, it is cost-effective and profitable to look at the possibility of gas supply and development of gas supply system of the northern, north-eastern regions of Kazakhstan from the territory of Russia and for this purpose consider new gas transportation routes - in particular, a route that would involve development of gas supply system of Astana. I can say that we are currently jointly developing such a route, a feasibility study has already been completed," Miller said.

According to Gazprom CEO, to increase gas supplies to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the company is also studying new routes and the existing Bukhara-Ural gas pipeline.

"In addition to analyzing what we will do over the coming years as part of the reconstruction of the Central Asia-Center gas pipeline, we are also looking at the existing Bukhara-Ural gas transport corridor, as well as new gas transport routes that may appear," Miller said.

Gazprom does not rule out gas transit through Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to third countries. "Yes, such a possibility also exists. We also talked about the transit opportunities that these states can provide. First of all, of course, these are the needs of these countries, our partners, our friends. But such an opportunity also exists," Miller said in response to a question about possible gas transit.